Glow of the Everflame Recap & Reactions | Off-Campus + Shield of Sparrows First Thoughts

This week on FanCastic: The Fan Casting Podcast, Loretta and Emyli catch up on their latest page-to-screen obsession, current reads, and all things romantasy before diving back into one of BookTok’s favorite worlds.

Loretta is fully in her hockey romance era with Off-Campus and breaks down which actors from the series would make the ultimate book boyfriends. Emyli shares her current read, Shield of Sparrows, where the tropes aren't doing exactly what they’re supposed to do. Plus, we get an unexpected (and very cute) four-legged guest appearance that steals a few moments of the episode.

For our main event, we continue our Kindred’s Curse Saga journey with a full spoiler recap (or as we’ve officially dubbed it, a recapitulation) of Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole, book two in the bestselling romantasy series taking over BookTok. We break down major moments, character developments, favorite scenes, theories, and all the reactions that had us immediately wanting the next book.

If you're reading the Kindred’s Curse Saga, deep in your romantasy era, or just love listening to readers unpack books they can’t stop thinking about, this episode is for you.

Books discussed:
Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Off-Campus (Prime TV adaptation)

Want more FanCastic between episodes? Come hang out with us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments, book updates, fan casting content, episode clips, and our latest reading obsessions.

Follow along and check out all our links here:
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Threads: https://www.threads.com/@fancasticpod

Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review, and tell us in the comments: Who are your Off-Campus book boyfriend picks, and what did you think of Glow of the Everflame?

🎙 Subscribe to FanCastic for weekly episodes about fantasy books, fandom culture, and dream book-to-screen adaptations. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:13

And action. Hey.

SPEAKER_04 0:19

Not very good at that. And scene.

SPEAKER_05 0:24

Taken from the top. Hey everybody. Welcome to another episode of Fancastic, the Fancasting Podcast, where we fancast all your favorite fantasy, romantic, and fiction. I'm Loretta. And I'm Emily. And we're here today to reclap. Reclap. Reclap.

SPEAKER_04 0:44

One time I said recrap. This time I said reclap. In your defense, recap is a weird word.

SPEAKER_05 0:51

It's a hard word. Also, I go back and forth of how to spell it. Is it re-cap? Or is it recap?

SPEAKER_02 0:59

Recap become a word. Also, is cap short for something? Yeah. Recapture. Recapture? Maybe. Recapitalize. No. Recap.

SPEAKER_05 1:13

We haven't said what we're doing. We're here to recap.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Why are we here?

SPEAKER_05 1:18

It's a recap episode, guys. It's a recap. We're recapping Glow of the Ever Flame, book two, a Pen Cole's Kindred's Curse Saga. And if you're new here, welcome to your first episode of Fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

This is what it's always like.

SPEAKER_05 1:35

This is what it's like, and this shouldn't be your first one.

SPEAKER_04 1:37

You should go back.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

I'm right. It's recapitulate. I thought I made that up. Recap is short form of recapitulate or recapitulation. Both words mean to go over your main point again and provide a brief summary.

SPEAKER_05 1:52

I've never heard that word in my life.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

I really thought I made that up. It's recapitulation.

SPEAKER_05 1:58

I've never heard that word. That's cuckoo crazy. The more you know, the more you know, Rainbow. Anyways, hey guys. Welcome to New Year again. I love make sure uh if you guys are new here, you do go back uh because you're definitely not gonna want to be here for our first episode where we're recapping a book two of a series that makes no sense. What are you doing here?

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Weird place to start, to be honest. Weird place to start.

SPEAKER_05 2:26

Why are you here? At least go back and do our recap of Spark of the Everflame and our fancast of Spark of the Everflame, and then make sure you like, subscribe, follow, share, tell all your friends, interact with us in the comments. Uh, get on our Instagram, get on our threads because that's where all the authors are talking to us.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

People love us on threads.

SPEAKER_05 2:47

People love us on threads.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

I don't think I've ever been on threads, but people get on threads, dude. But I'm on it now. I just like before this was not. I had no idea.

SPEAKER_05 2:56

They're like really that's Penn Cole numerous times. Chit chats with us, Raven Kennedy, numerous times. I posted some shit about off campus just because I had nobody to talk to about it, blew up. I'm gonna watch it. I'll watch it this weekend. I'm so sorry. I have to watch it. With that being said, um, I mean, what are we obsessed with this week?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Take it away, Loretta.

SPEAKER_05 3:19

Yeah. This feels like a perfect segue for me to say, holy shit, you guys. I'm gonna look dead into the camera.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Meet me over on camera too.

SPEAKER_05 3:27

Meet me over on camera too. Off campus, is one of the best shows next to Heated Rivalry, of course, that I've ever watched. I am going to start rewatching it already. Every male actor in that show, and I hate saying that, is so good. I put this show on, Emily, being like, Antonio Cipriano's in it. For those of you who don't know, I used to bartend for Broadway shows. I bartended for Jagged Little Pill. Antonio Cipriano is from a very large Italian family located in Detroit. They basically all stayed in New York for like opening week. And and they were always in the mezzanine bar where I was working. And they would like just get water or like whatever. Like you knew who his family was. And he was so nice and they were really nice. And when they were like always going to be up there, he came up and was like, Hey, like, my family's here. Like, you don't have to serve them. Like, you're totally fine. They're gonna think like you're here for them. I'm so sorry. And I'm like, no, no, no, it's all good.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

We're gonna be really entitled about it, but like and he was so aware.

SPEAKER_05 4:39

He was so aware of it and was like so kind. And he would come hang out, like down in like the orchestra bar level, like where we would all hang out during the show. He would come hang out there before the show and like, how hi, how are you guys doing? What are you guys eating for dinner tonight? Like, he was so fucking nice. So I was like, I'm gonna watch this show because of it. And this was when he was dating Renee Rapp, who who is less cute who was not nice. She was really fucking mean. Um, truly so mean. And I was absolutely scared of her.

SPEAKER_02 5:15

Say something that would send my like Gen Z colleagues into a coma. Yes. I don't get it. I don't get Renee Rapp. I she's very talented. I like she's an exceptionally talented singer. I don't get like the whole vibe. Like, she just seems like a newly in a new incarnation of high school mean girl. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 5:35

And I don't like it. You are not wrong at all. Also don't really get it. And I thought that was because she was really mean and horrible and awful to me uh on opening night. Like so awfully mean. Um, but I have tried to compartmentalize it and say and give her a pass because she was 19. She, I think it was right when she was got Regina or was like going to go in for Taylor as Regina. And uh she was on an episode of Call Her Daddy where she like talked about this period of her life, like this specific few months of her life, and it was right before the pandemic, and uh she was not well, like so. I'm like, okay, you get a pass because you weren't doing good, and then she like realized she is gay and came out, and I was like, okay, all right, fine, pass. Um, but she was really mean and he was really nice. Anyways, all that to be said, that is why I started watching off campus. I never read the books. I love a hockey romance though, right? Yeah, like we love a hockey hockey romance, preferably gay, but sure, let's go with a I was like, let's go with a straight one, fine.

SPEAKER_03 6:50

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 6:51

Girl, when I tell you that this cast is stacked with dudes that we need in our books, I feel like after casting so many things, we've been sitting here being like, where are all the men at?

SPEAKER_00 7:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 7:06

Who are gonna make these men come? They're in this cast. They're all sprinkled beautifully. There's there is a Lucian is there in there, there's a Bodhi in there, there's a Luther in there, there's a Taryn in there, there's they're they're all in there. Even Antonio Cipriano could play Henry beautifully.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Oh, very punchable face.

SPEAKER_05 7:26

Very punchable face. Very punchable face, very punchable face, and can do a little scruffy and but the acting was good, the storyline was good. I've never seen spicy scenes like so tense and spice there Emily. There is a scene. Okay, tell me where someone is not comfortable with this is a not safer work discussion ahead. Okay. Someone is not comfortable having an orgasm. She can't do it because of a past trauma. She shares this past trauma with man. Man is like, I'm going to make her comfortable. First of all, he has a conversation with his other man friend, being like, hey, she wants me to do this for her as her friend, and like, because she likes some other guy, right? It's a fake dating thing. And he they become friends, and she's like, I want you to do this for me because I want to sleep with this other guy, and I feel like I'm not going to be able to finish, and I'm really worried about it. And he talks to his man friend, and his man friend is like, Okay, well, like maybe on the first time, like she doesn't come on the first time. And he goes, No, dude, like she has to come on the first time, and he's like, Respect. Like that, like the forward thought of like women's bodies and women's pleasure and safety and trust. And like, I the all these men were written by women, and you can totally tell, and I love it so much. And so he wants to make her comfortable, and she shows up for this night and she's wearing like this like really tight dress, and she's really uncomfortable. And he's like, Do you want to change into something more comfortable? Like, here's a t-shirt. And she's like, Yeah, I do. And like, so she just puts on a t-shirt and he was like, Do you want to like put some music on? And like they put on like a foundation song and they like kind of loosen up and like dance together. And like his importance is like, I want her to feel so safe in order for this to happen for her. And you can tell like he's having feelings for her, but yeah, and she they like start kissing, and she gets like really nervous and like is like I gotta stop it. Like, I can't. And so he's like, Can you do it to yourself? And she's like, Yeah, like that's not the problem though. It's it's when I'm with someone else, and he goes, show me. And so he goes, You show me and I'll show you. And these two sit across from each other and do their own things, and she starts to look away and he says, Stay with me. And they are locked eyes doing this.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

It is it's giving me Dane Eyes on Me, ATOS. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

I was like, What? Like, it's so good, dude. I love it. It's you're gonna love it. You're gonna love it.

SPEAKER_05 10:29

I know you'll love it.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

It's a long weekend, so yeah.

SPEAKER_05 10:32

Yeah, you're gonna you're gonna watch it all in set on Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 10:35

It is by the time this episode is released, I probably won't watch the whole thing.

SPEAKER_05 10:40

It's so good. And it's not just him that's like the main character. Like, it's like all these guys have their own stories, and like Dean, when have we ever cheered for a blonde man?

SPEAKER_02 10:50

One time.

SPEAKER_05 10:51

Once.

SPEAKER_04 10:52

Like once.

SPEAKER_05 10:54

Yeah, yes. And like I, I literally this man lovely. Lovely. And out of all of that, we've got a Luther. Oh, we got a Terran. I don't need no Connor's story. I don't need no Connor's story.

SPEAKER_02 11:15

I will be the judge of that when I watch the episode because I again I'm standing on business with Connor's story as Luther.

SPEAKER_05 11:23

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Now, now I can see I listen, I can see Connor's story. My worry with Connor's story was not that he can't pull off Luther. He can't. We know that. That motherfucker showed up in an episode of For All Mankind playing a Russian again. Like crazy. And I work on that show and I went, what the hell are you doing here? Why are you in Ilya? What are you doing in space? Uh get out of here. The guy who is playing Dean DeLorentes would be a perfect Terran. He's big and blonde and blue-eyed.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

You do have to find a new Terran now because I took your Terran.

SPEAKER_05 12:06

This is mine. You'll see him next week. Okay. Done and over with. Like, and I posted it, and Pen Cole says, I can see the vision. And I was like, you sure can, bitch. Respectfully, bitch. In a good way.

SPEAKER_02 12:20

It's probably actively casting. I know.

SPEAKER_05 12:22

When I'm sitting here being like, help. Anyways, anyways, that was my uh off-campus thing. I'm right there with all the girlies kicking their feet and squealing and just just melting over those boys. I asked my husband who has naturally curly hair, can you please grow out your hair? Please. And he was like, I don't want to grow my hair out. And I was like, Your hair is he's got beautifully curly hair. And he slicks it back like a fucking vampire. I love him. I love him so much, you guys. But he does, and he's got this widow's peak like I do. And if he does it curly, oh, and he could, oh, he could have the hair. And so I said, that's what I want for my birthday. Will you please grow your hair out?

SPEAKER_03 13:06

So we can just play with it.

SPEAKER_05 13:07

And if you don't like it, we can cut it. It's fine. I just want to see. I just want to see if we can quaft it.

SPEAKER_04 13:12

I just want to test it. I just want to test the theory.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

I just want to test the theory. Let's just see. Let's try to feel something.

SPEAKER_05 13:18

Let me feel something. And that's my off-campus um soapbox. It's phenomenal. Well, I talked about it on threads. People agreed. I think it was one thing I said was like the safety of it. Like, it's crazy that like obviously we like a show because it's like, oh wow, a show about men that we are safe around and respectable around. And there's only like one bad man. Like, that's it. And the rest are like, good men, take care of women, take care of friends, talk about emotions. Like, if if men were just like that in real life, I feel like we would have 80% less problems.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

Yeah, I think that's a fair assumption.

SPEAKER_05 13:58

Anyways, that's off campus. What about you, Miss Shield of Sparrows?

SPEAKER_02 14:02

Okay. So I um don't have a new to be sure that I'm watching, but I am re-watching Marvel's Agents of Shield, which is a delight and a half, um, and will become relevant in a little bit. Um, and also if you see a bunch of Shield actors suddenly popping up in my casting, don't worry about it. Well, we already saw the one. Yeah, throwball. Yeah. But I have started reading Shield of Sparrows, uh, which is beloved on Book Talk. So far, I'm giving it like a like a B. I am just over halfway through. It's not bad. Okay. It's like, well, you know, like in the Lord of the Rings books, where there's just like a lot of walking. Still walking.

SPEAKER_06 14:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Um, there's a lot of walking in this. Like she's on a journey, she's traveling through the majority of the first half of the book. She's not about then she's on a horse, and then she's camping, and then she's walking, then she's in a tree house. Now she's at a fort. Like there's a lot, there's a lot of stuff going. Um, there's a fucking delightful slow burn that's happening that has me doing little giggles and kicking my little feet. Okay. Um, which is cute. I do believe I texted you my biggest grievance so far.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

Which is the funniest thing you've ever said.

SPEAKER_05 15:15

Well, no, you've said a lot of funny things, but I love that it just no, no, I don't know. You were like, oh, by the way, don't even bother with Shield of Sparrow. There's a one-bed trope and he sleeps on the floor.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

So mad. He climbs in through her window to stay in the inn with her. Edward Cullen who and takes her pillow and lays on the floor. Why why am I- Why'd he go through all that work? He has to protect he's like sworn to protect her. And he has monsters afoot. Use the front door? Yeah, I'm clear why. Like, he clearly has a lot of like power and authority. Like, he's sort of like the right hand to the prince. I actually have a suspicion. Are you gonna read it?

SPEAKER_05 16:02

Yeah, I'm gonna read it. I'm gonna read Daughter of No Worlds first because I I told you I would, but then I'm gonna read Shield of Sparrows.

SPEAKER_02 16:08

Okay. Can I tell you a guess? Yeah, I'll forget it. I think he actually is the prince. Okay. Like I think it's a I think it's a ruse because like he talks for the prince. Outside of the kingdom, the prince doesn't speak, so the guardian talks for him. And like the guardian is the one that's flirting with the female main character, even though she is ostensibly married to the prince because she's been worried off in this contract.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

So I think he actually is the prince and is hiding for some reason. I I don't quite know why, but like why would you be flirting with your best friend's wife? Right. Maybe you would. I don't know. Also, can you hear Clifford? He's going crazy. That's why I started laughing because I was like, I wanted to be like, is that clear?

SPEAKER_01 16:54

He has a lot of thoughts about his rocks that don't trope properly.

SPEAKER_02 16:57

No, that's gonna be this little nugget.

SPEAKER_04 17:00

Can you be calm? My nugget. Oh, he looked like he was gonna do an awoo.

SPEAKER_05 17:08

He's like, no. Oh, you want to be a podcaster?

SPEAKER_02 17:12

Do you have opinions about books?

SPEAKER_00 17:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

It was a yes. Anyways. He's really trying to dig up my yoga mat, which I just threw on top of a thing. Okay. We're gonna focus. Focus. Shield of sparrows. The guardian. So far, it's pretty good. It's like clearly gonna be a slow burn. It's a little slow, like there's mysteries that she's solving. It's taking a lot of time with the world building. But she's a delight. I like her point of view a lot. Um, she's very funny when she talks about like the guardian being a monster, but I mean like a beautiful monster, but like he's a monster. He kills people. Yeah, like it's okay. So it's a little, it's delightful. Um, I'll report back at the end. Okay. I I accidentally unhid a spoiler on Reddit for the end of the book, and I panicked. And then I remember realized that I didn't know any of the words that were in the spoiler. I didn't know any of the people, didn't know any of the places. Oh, that's good. And so I was like, oh, so like so some shit's about to happen.

SPEAKER_05 18:09

Yeah. Okay, that's good. Because everyone has said that it's a very good series, and then Right of the Starling. Right of the Starling, yeah. Is the second one, and everyone is like, whoa, I did not expect the story to go that way. And like, there's a lot of things that happen in it that a lot of people were very shocked about. Now it's book talk, so I'm intrigued. Take book talk with a grain of salt. But it's intriguing, yes.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

And it's only like green book talk that told me to read Quicksilver because we all know how that went.

SPEAKER_05 18:37

I, to this day, every time someone's like, name a book that you DNF that you're shocked at other people and I'm always I'm like Quicksilver. Quicksilver. Immediately. Hotly violent garbage. And I'll never ever ever ever regret that. No, it's terrible. I got so much time back. I didn't waste any of that. I'm really happy about that decision. Okay, so you're doing Shield of Sparrows. I'm obsessed with off campus. Uh you sent this to me.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

I did real quick book world news, a fun adaptation in the works of Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, uh, being produced by Tomorrow Studios, who did uh One Piece and Snowpiercer and a bunch of other stuff. And it's being co-written by Jed Whedon and Marissa Tancherone of Marvel's Agents of Sealed. Do you see how I brought it back?

SPEAKER_05 19:24

Yes, this was relevant for sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 19:27

It's relevant.

SPEAKER_05 19:27

So um very excited. Have you read this series? I have not read this one.

SPEAKER_02 19:33

Okay. But I have read other Brandon Sanderson.

SPEAKER_05 19:35

So I just yeah, I just picked up Missborn. Um, so I it's it's one that's on the list, and it's they're pretty short reads, which is kind of nice. Uh very uh uh uh uh throne of glass assassiny uh styled. So it might be nice to get something in there. Um yeah, I'm pretty excited about that because I don't think Brandon Sanderson has had anything adapted yet. Team behind One Piece, great. Uh a friend of mine is Mr. Five in once Camris Johnson. Uh shout out Camris. I'll definitely cast you in something soon. Anything else coming up? I guess we should uh we should just say we, you know, guys, uh we're a couple months out from our first event where you will get to see us. Uh we will be at Forbidden Love with T and Tropes. There's a bunch of cool shit happening there. They've got like a girly, like cool band that's gonna be performing that like performs like bookish music. I'll listen to them. They sound super cool. We haven't gotten our schedule for it yet, but once once we do get a schedule, we will put out where we will be, where you can see us. We're also gonna put out what our looks are looking like for the ball. Pretty excited. So you'll start seeing those things on our socials and let us know if you'll be there and we'll see you. Yeah. Make sure to come say hi to us.

SPEAKER_02 20:58

I think we can dive in.

SPEAKER_05 20:59

It's time to dive in.

SPEAKER_04 21:00

It's time to dive in to our reclap crap. Reclappin' crap. Reclapped capitulation. Capitulation. Our recapitulation.

SPEAKER_02 21:12

Recapitulation of the other player.

SPEAKER_05 21:17

All right, go for it, dude.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

Oh my god. Okay, so diving right in. I first thought we should each rate the book before we go on. I'm giving it like a solid 4.5. Only because I think a five is like a lot, and there's a couple like fucking hate Henry and I hate Aurely. And I know that that's good writing to make me like viscerally hate somebody, but it pisses me off. Like I want to hate the Vance's. I don't want to hate her best friend and her mother. Um like I understand that Pen Cole wants me to be uncomfortable. Like, I get it, I understand, but like I don't like it. Um, and that's just how I decided to write. But I also generally write books. in like number of feet kicks and like little giggles. So um yeah I think 4.5 is good.

SPEAKER_05 22:05

I'm gonna have to I'm gonna agree with you 4.5. Yeah on the dot. Um and for very similar reasons of Orly and uh uh Henry being only being so crazy. I mean the the again guys spoilers all spoilers ahead just the death of her dad was horrible.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

I have never hated like I I don't cry from books very often and I was like I shed a tear yeah on the 405 while listening to audiobook and like I was very very upset.

SPEAKER_05 22:45

I was like very recovers from this but it was like one of those upsets where you go goddamn this is a good book yeah because you're not afraid to like Pencole's not afraid to actually kill people she is not afraid to go there and that's what and that's what I love I'm really excited about it.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Uh still really real and I know you're not at the end of book three yet but like eight chapters baby there's a big thing somebody's in a real pickle at the end of book three and does someone die you can tell me if don't tell me who but I am I am prepared for someone big to die. Somebody it definitely dies and then somebody seems like they are about to die when the book ends. Wow wow yeah wow okay and because of things like the dad dying for real like really dying not being magically resurrected out of a cauldron uh I'm like actual genuinely very I fucking hate that Amory came back outside that's not what we're talking about. But like I hate it so food same just leave Sarah and move on with your life. Yeah um I'm like very concerned like I know that this character I want to say I know that they're not dead but like it's fine. It's fine.

SPEAKER_05 23:57

Girl I'm really afraid it's her brother he's in sofos he's not supposed to be there so pos or whatever the fuck it's called you need to read faster.

SPEAKER_02 24:04

I'm almost there how do you say how do you say Ofafuckface's name that's what I call pronounced Ofuckface. Ofafuckface um is how they say it in the audio I literally have been reading it going with an S.

SPEAKER_05 24:28

Sophos Ophia Kai and sofos okay I you know I already told you what my we're gonna leave it off of this episode in case anyone but uh I have told you what my prediction is I I feel very confident with the one I've told you and then I obviously I'm like I know something bad's gonna happen because you told me about the pickles and so I was like but I don't feel like we're I don't feel like we're currently in a pickle so a pickle you're at now the pickle is surprising.

SPEAKER_02 24:57

There's there's no pickle yeah and I've eight chapters to the end so there's two chapters to the end I thought we were for sure in the like home stretch bitch. I didn't thought we were getting to the pickle yes but then you were like oh she's in sofos and they're like showing her around and I was like no so many fucking things happen we haven't even gotten to the pickle you're not even in the right country like just just FYI like that's not where the pickle happens. Okay because I'm like where are we going guys like and but then I was like oh my god the pickle is gonna be tellers getting tested on or something right and then he's like actually that's not what happens and I'm really happy to be here like and I was like oh okay great I did always I actually this is book three I'm sorry I do not that that was because I do actually believe that to be correct same that it was a lie because too many people were taking advantage of the kindness yes of surplus and like robbing them. Yes. But I also love that like Henry's a fucking liar. Like of course he's gonna spread lies about the discord without whether they're real or not.

SPEAKER_05 26:07

It shows why the divide between exists so much. Like yeah so we'll shut up about book three um book two book two I would also say yeah 4.5 I do have to say now Penn Cole has praised us for being DM girlies diehard DM girlies. Yeah I love she do be pissing me off in this book a little bit book three book three is a little bit where I'm like move it along it along well and and it starts at the end of book two where I was like girl if you don't try to learn to use your gadget magic crying it I kind of like that she's not immediately good at it.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

Like for sure like I yes a bajillion other FNCs like I legit thought our girl was in peril walking into the challenging I was like what is gonna happen I thought that like or Luther was gonna have to like use his magic and pretend it was coming from her like I really smoke yeah we're gonna get into that we're gonna get into that but yes she she was annoying to me at the end but not like annoying is the wrong word.

SPEAKER_05 27:17

She was like I was sitting there being like what are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 27:20

And then that has continued in in book three where I'm like sure has she's definitely like she's definitely not a perfect character but I also think that that's why I like her.

SPEAKER_05 27:30

I think she's a little too forgiving very much so yeah and I I at first found it keep going at first found it to be wonderful and now I said that's going to be your demise bitch something something's gonna get that's where the pickle's gonna come from she's gonna trust somebody and forgive somebody that she shouldn't have and they're gonna fuck it up and it's probably gonna be her mom. Anyways okay um so what is this book?

SPEAKER_02 28:05

I thought it would be nice to do like a TLDR like I like this I like this a reluct this is the TLDR of Glow of the Everflame a reluctant chosen one story meets enemies to lovers political fantasy uh while trying to decide whether or not the system that she hates can actually be changed from within my little summary. We've got an identity crisis our girl is confused. She don't know who the fuck she is political intrigue we've got fashion with a capital F. We've got foot rubs holy fuck I forgot about that I forgot about the foot rub until I was writing the summary and then I was like with the sandals we've got fantastic side characters. We've got bombs we've got balls and we've got the slowest slow burn that has ever slow burned in the history of slow barns.

SPEAKER_05 29:02

And let me tell you something we don't have the kind of balls that we wanted in this book.

SPEAKER_01 29:05

No we have like galas. We have galas but we don't have we don't have balls balls. Can I put that on the internet? Nope but I wouldn't do that hand gesture I'll censor it.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Put a little emoji over it I'll put the eggplant emoji emoji over your hand yeah okay it'll be fine um okay let's dive into the big plot take it away all right oh yeah I assigned myself to go first okay okay so we pick up immediately where we left off we are kneeling in the dirt act one the crown chooses diem is what I called it yeah smart um so we pick up right where we left off Diem is like kneeling on the ground in the lake unclear outside of her family home clear clear she posted Penn posted a map today like on in color map an in-color map and was like which region would you be and it was like with a passport and stuff and it shows Diem's house is like on a shoreline of a large body of water. Okay so she is in the large body of water and I said thank you I needed that yeah with the crown of luminose on her head. Yeah and then Taylor shows up and he's like so that's weird because you are immortal so that's unexpected and she's like don't tell anybody and he immediately tells Lily because of course he does um Lily is like oh so you're descended because that's the only explanation and she's right uh we just don't accept that yet and Lily helps her hide. Um DM's like please do not tell your brother Luther she immediately goes and tells Luther nobody's great at keeping secrets but Lily was so upset that she thought Diem was going to be mad at her because she was like I don't know how to protect you and Luther's gonna know how to protect you and I have to tell Luther because I don't want you to die.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

And it's very sweet and Diem forgives her totally understand Lily's like either four or sixteen so really unclear what her emotionally not really not sure in this moment she was very much like had a cute little bow in her hair I thought and was like Yeah I told you a secret.

SPEAKER_05 31:14

And then later she's like I'm into your brother like wait what?

SPEAKER_02 31:20

Yeah but okay. Okay so then Lily starts dropping some information about what happens next uh specifically about the challenging so you don't go straight from magical crown appearing on your head to coronation you have to go through a challenging where other like main houses of descendants can be like I actually don't think that you're the strongest and I would like the crown. And it is a magical fight to the death. It's very scary. Okay so they hide Diem out at a hunting cabin which is a royal hunting cabin um and she's panicking because she thinks Henry is gonna find out and be really mad which spoiler alert that is exactly what happens in a couple chapters. Luther obviously arrives because Lily told him about it and takes Diem to the palace and is urging her to take the crown which is kind of surprising because he was the heir apparent um so one would think that he might not be so happy about this but he's like no you have to take it on the ride there Diem realizes that the horse that Luther is riding is the same horse from a story that Henri told her about a descendant who killed and like trampled a mortal child to death with this like very specific horse. And so she's like well Luther is a mortal killer like he kills mortal children and she's really big mad about it. When they get there just took that little nugget away for now when they get there they meet Sarai who is the gryvern guardian of the crown which I didn't realize that a gryvern is like a just a dragon but also maybe like a sphinx it's like okay it's a dragon head.

SPEAKER_05 32:53

Yeah and they have like a lion body with wings. So like a sphinx yes no a sphinx is a lion head right so I typically thought a gryvern was a bird head on like a lion's body but it's a dragon this is a dragon with scales and has like dragons of fire. Yeah yeah and and from what it sounds like is there's fur. The body is fur also furry how big is this Gryvern? Because sometimes five people but sometimes only big as dog good good for scratching like I was like Yeah they definitely treat her kind of like a house pet.

SPEAKER_02 33:47

Yeah then she definitely also flies like six people out of Umbrella. Yes like it's like hello fights a battle in the air while doing it so clearly isn't that bothered by the sick grown humans.

SPEAKER_05 33:58

Like there's enough room on there and like can can carry their shit apparently so I I I unclear I'm not yeah not sure.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

Maybe they shrink uh cute uh okay so we're in the castle Luther warns DM to just like lie about everything. Don't talk about your missing mom don't talk about the fact that you don't have magic do not talk about the fact that you hate all descended and probably want to kill all of us maybe keep that to yourself. She meets the Corbois family which is Luther's family and the Corbois family is humongous. There'd be cousins everywhere. Also apparently everybody in the castle is corbois to some degree because those are the only people that they can trust. So even like the guards are corbois.

SPEAKER_00 34:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:41

Uh and she learns that other royal houses might challenge her uh to claim the throne and Remus who is the crown regent pressures her to ally with House Corbois and just say that she's a corbois because no father is her biological father so he's like to say they're corbois we'll protect you you're gonna be Diem Corbois now it'll be all fine. Luther swears loyalty to Diem which is very exciting he's like I'm gonna protect you I'm gonna help you I'm gonna teach you how to work in the courts um and it's very surprising because as mentioned he was the error parent so this is kind of like people think he's gonna be big mad about this and he's like no this is great. I actually didn't really want it.

SPEAKER_05 35:22

So I don't I don't want that shit you have the one to be in charge.

SPEAKER_02 35:26

That's awful um okay we meet Eleanor Corpois who's like we love Eleanor. Eleanor's your favorite I also love Eleanor. Eleanor is Luther's cousin but like a close cousin and they were very good friends growing up and she becomes DM's advisor and helps her with the uh Palace politics. I love that everybody looks down on Eleanor and dismisses her and is like why on earth would you have her be an advisor and DM's like I'm gonna make her my first advisor and what the fuck are you going to do about it? And this book is a lot of people underestimating women for various reasons and then women proving them wrong.

SPEAKER_05 36:03

And I feel I think it's like mentioned at one point maybe in book two, maybe in the beginning of book three um that Eleanor is a little bit of like an outsider of the family. Like she's a little bit more like she's like lowborn I guess and she kind of is like her family's not really around like who who her parents are and stuff. She's kind of just around and and has like squirreled herself away and been like really quiet and like we're friends and stuff but like I'm just gonna be really quiet and that's why she knows all the shit.

SPEAKER_02 36:39

All the shit because people talk in front of her. Yep. Um we also meet Eamon who's a fucking snake who is also a cousin oh we don't really like Eamon. He's blonde. He's blonde. Oh um he reveals that loser's job um as the like crown the captain of the guard one of his many titles uh high general thank you enforces crown law which means that he is responsible for enforcing the progeny laws against half mortal children and theoretically executing them. Spoilers. Yeah uh this is when Diem learns that the challenging is a magical fight to the death very scary don't like that hate hate it hate uh big hate okay we meet Taryn who's fantastic we love Taryn it takes way too long to figure out that Taryn is gay uh we meet like book three book three she's got a lot going on she's focusing on a lot she's doing three so what she doesn't even believe it at first it just goes over her head and I was like girl please yeah he like straight up says it and she's like he's like I yeah I like dudes and she's like haha funny what about her established that she knows Mara is married to a woman so like clearly the gays are out and about she is an ally so hello I don't I don't understand why it takes her so long to figure it out. Anyway she got a lot going on yeah we also meet Alix who has like a blue mohawk which is very cool and she is also very high up in the guard and she's an excellent fighter um and has fun like mystery magic where she can bend light and shadows to make people invisible which is I love just picked who I'm casting for her yesterday and I'm real pumped about it. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 38:32

Don't tell me no you're gonna love it too.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

Okay. I promise so they all these are the people who are all in on it. So Luther Diem Taryn Aliks Eleanor and Teller and Lily but I don't think intentionally are all in on the fact that Diem is not actually a corbois and doesn't have magic and this is weird. Um so they're trying to train her in the dungeons it's not going well uh and then during an argument with Luther finally uh her magic like erupts and she realizes that she has magic and that she is a descendant but she has absolutely no idea how to um control it. Yeah uh and I found some really fun quotes that I'm peppering through here and I love the quote that Luther says here which is burn my queen glow so bright the darkness trembles.

SPEAKER_05 39:22

Now is this when she finally lets loose and it's just them and he's like shining so happy yeah and then he like bursts out laughing and this is when I decided to cast Connor Story because the like facade breaks and you get goofy little silly boy who's just like happy that this is happening. Fair fair did we mention the Corbois family is very incestuous they do have like a passing line of like don't worry about it. Like a don't worry about it situation and all the houses separately yeah all the houses seem to be like that which is a lot of pureblock here.

SPEAKER_02 39:57

It's a little weird. And a Vair is who we have not talked about yet but like there's a lot of pure blood energy happening.

SPEAKER_05 40:02

We choose to overlook it. It's very Game of Thronesy and that's fine. And we're just very incestuous gonna move past uh moving step.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

Okay. Um okay this is uh Diem then assigns decides to align with House Corbois if Lucer agrees to protect her family which of course he does um and this is when he tells her that he has actually been working with Arlie against the former king and tells her that he's not gonna tell her where Arlie is but can guarantee that she's alive and she will come back. And back by Equinox, he will go get her.

SPEAKER_05 40:35

I've read too many fantasy novels she's supposed to do the coronation and then the thing that happens after the coronation right because it's like supposed to be she was supposed to be gone a month. Yes and then that whole thing goes nuts because Diem A got no powers and so it's longer and like she don't know any about that. Okay. Okay. Moving on. Act two Palace politics okay Eleanor my favorite gets uh moved as her first advisor because she starts to teach Diem all of the politics and family dynamics. So Eleanor knows all the hot gas and is like stay away from this bitch. You can talk to this bitch. This person is fucking this person and this person don't know shit. This is what you have to wear this is how you have to look you need to look hot at all times. Family dinners stunning stunning have to be some people like yes yeah and she knows her shit I love her so much she's just cuty and bouncy. She sits she like plops down on her bed and is like so cute. We're gonna be friends. We're gonna run a little kiki we're gonna write in our little journals we're gonna be friends yeah yeah and so I love their relationship so much then DM reunites with Henry like literally bumping into him in the mail room which is fancy meeting you here. What are you doing here? Um by the way I'm the queen sorry that's literally what happens she runs into him she's getting like a tour of the palace and there's the mail room and he's delivering packages for his dad instead unclear why dad's not there. Whatever. So he's doing he's actually no because he's doing it for the guardians so he can like he's sneak snorking around he's sneak snorking around I just spit all over the microphone. Whatever he literally bumps into him and she's like oh my god what are you doing here and he was like oh hey I was like yeah like yeah oops and he's like what the heck like they captured you omega and then she tells him obviously what's going on he is pissed and she's like will you please love me still and he's like no and she was like I'll make you queen or queen I'll make you queen I'll make you king consort you'll be the first mortal king consort. We'll do this together we'll take down the descended please be with me they're about to do fucking Luther's just like Luther walks in and is like um excuse me uh real quick don't do that for a second please yeah we gotta chat real quick so Luther pulls her away into his room and he's like this is my room this is where he woke up when all the things happened she was like oh my god this is why I recognize it holy shit the woodsy bath and body work smell all of the men smell like woods all of the men they all smell like woods and the main character in Shields Brows also smells like woods. Of course it's like and leather is it leather it's always leather spice and a vague spice. Can we get other smells for men? There are other smells this is a call to all authors go to a perfumery go to perfumery and please for another scent men don't actually smell like that. Big plot point he brings DM in But she's looking around a room. First of all, she sees the bust of Blessed Mother Illumnos of Luther reveals via diary he has secretly been saving the half-mortal children.

SPEAKER_02 44:15

He's the ones that kill them and he sneaks them away.

SPEAKER_05 44:18

He sneaks them away. He has set up an an like network with whatever land and someone else to where they fake he captures them and brings them to die and he lets them go.

SPEAKER_03 44:35

Now I love him.

SPEAKER_05 44:36

DM begins trusting Luther because of this, and she's like, oh wow. And he has a whole list of like all the ones that have lived and like where they are and what their names were and who they were with. Like he has tracked them and he has a short list of other names that are like in red that he couldn't save. He like haunts him. And so she sees like this mask really drop from him in like a different way, not in like a joyous way, but like, oh my god, he's human and he doesn't hate mortals for some reason, which is huge. So she starts to trust him, and she agrees to bring Eamon, not Henry, to the ascension ball. And he's like, You can't bring a mortal, like please don't do that. And she's like, fine, I'll go with Eamon, it's fine. Whatever. I'll strike a D with him. So she does. Teller and Lily explain more about what descended magic is, and they fear Gareth, who is Eamon and Taryn's shitty dad, um, so shitty, might challenge Diem. Um, they're very worried about it. Even within like the Corbois family. Like he's not supposed to do that, but he's acting real shady.

SPEAKER_02 45:47

Oh my god, we didn't even say that Remus and Diem made a blood pact. Oh my god, the blood pact. Yes. Oh my god, I forgot about that until right now. Remus Remus and Diem made a blood pact where Diem was like, I will swear that I am a Corbois if you agree that no corbois challenges me at the challenging. Right. And then if whoever breaks the butt blood pact loses their magic.

SPEAKER_05 46:12

Right. That's why she does this, because the word gets out that Gareth might do it, and she's like, I can't have that. Someone within, then I'm for sure toast. Like cannot be cooked.

SPEAKER_02 46:24

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 46:25

Yes. So yeah, they do the blood oath and she meets with Remus, and Remus is still the um crown regent.

SPEAKER_03 46:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 46:32

So he makes all the decisions and it's a little questionable. Remus is Luther's dad, and they have some bad blood that we'll learn about shortly.

SPEAKER_02 46:41

Um to add when you said Teller and Lily explain more. I love that Teller being a nerd is like the saving grace of D. Like he teaches Diem so much.

SPEAKER_05 46:52

Yeah. I love it. And also in book three, it's pissed me off so much because why does he know all of these things? And why didn't Diem? No, yeah, yeah, yeah. But why didn't Diem like I hate that Aurely didn't give Diem a fucking fighting fucking chance?

SPEAKER_02 47:10

Like you were hating Arlie, not Penko. I was like, he explains it.

SPEAKER_05 47:13

I was like, No, no, no, no, no, not Penko. I'm hating Arlie for being a bad mom. Which mom will also get to. Bad mom. They think Gareth is going to challenge DM, so they do the blood oath. Diem realizes she no longer fully hates Luther. And she's actually really jealous of this Elena. They say Ileana. Ileana. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 47:39

Iliana Hanaver.

SPEAKER_05 47:40

Okay. Ileana. Super jealous of this girl who is like a blonde and is like, this is my boyfriend. Like all the time.

SPEAKER_02 47:49

And she's like, Mary.

SPEAKER_05 47:51

I love her. And he's like, I really don't like you.

SPEAKER_03 47:54

Don't touch me.

SPEAKER_05 47:55

Yeah, don't touch me. And DM's like, gross, hate that. Gonna pretend I don't care because I'm betrothed. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 48:03

She uh him, her just her loyalty to Henri really sends me into outer space.

SPEAKER_05 48:12

So we call him Henri because we hate him.

SPEAKER_02 48:14

I hate him so much.

SPEAKER_05 48:17

Penn, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 48:19

You're wrong about your favorite. She's rage baiting.

SPEAKER_05 48:22

She's rage baiting. I swear to God.

SPEAKER_04 48:24

There's no way.

SPEAKER_05 48:25

There's no way. Henri is doing it. You cannot be a diehard DM girly and also have number one Henry fan. I will throw up. Don't do that to us. Okay. She gives him a redemption arc in book four. Anyways, I don't want to, I'm not putting that up there.

SPEAKER_02 48:39

He needs to die.

SPEAKER_01 48:41

You gotta go.

SPEAKER_02 48:45

That's the only way I'll be happy with book four is it's time to go.

SPEAKER_05 48:48

He's gotta go. Okay. So uh she uh yeah, so she's actually really jealous. King Altar dies, so she goes to the funeral, this poor bitch, and she wears black because she's immortal. She's yeah, she's like funeral, black. Yeah. Uh she's picking out her outfit, and Sarai is like, she's she's like, do I do this one? And Sarai's like, wear that red, where that red shit, put that red dress on, and she was like, Are you crazy? I'll make a spectacle of myself. You hate me too. What's going on? No, and throws it away and wears this like fugly ass black dress.

SPEAKER_03 49:27

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 49:28

Shows up and everybody is wearing red.

SPEAKER_03 49:34

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 49:35

And she shows up and insults all of the descended, all of the House Corbois, all of the other houses. They're like, what the fuck are you wearing? It just really shows she's mortal. Which they're trying to hide from everybody. Obviously, they're being like, She's a secret cousin from Uncle Frank. Sarai's trying to help her, doesn't listen. Eleanor was like not there to help her pick out her outfit. And so Eleanor's like, holy fuck, this is definitely my fault. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:04

I didn't think I needed to tell her what to wear to a funeral, but apparently I did.

SPEAKER_05 50:07

But apparently I did. And and that's when they kind of realized, like, holy shit, like she really has no idea anything about our world and culture, I guess. Wow. Um, so she insults everybody. Uh she needs to light the pyre. And Remus and Gareth are kind of like kind of baiting her. They're baiting her? Yeah. They're like so. They want to humiliate her and show that like Luther should have had it, or like, you know, they're they're being men. Yeah. Um, and she can't summon her magic. So she she starts to, and everyone's like, whoa, she's like glowing or whatever. And she looks up and sees a group of mortals, and she sees her dad who did not know that she didn't get a chance to go tell her own dad before him seeing that she was the crown. And he's very confused. Uh yeah, it's not good. It's not great. And the last time she saw him was like, You're not my real dad. And this really solidifies, wow, you're not my real dad. And like, oh, that moment like killed me dead, hurts a whole bunch. She is really upset about it. Luther brings her dad back. She's like, she can't do the magic, and she's like, Holy fuck, like, loses focus. They go back to the palace. Her dad comes back with her. Andre comes back with her. He's like, What the fuck? Like, why didn't you tell me? And she's like, I didn't know what to do, and I didn't know.

SPEAKER_02 51:46

And I thought you'd be really mad. Like, I thought you'd be really upset.

SPEAKER_05 51:50

Yeah. And he's like, No, like you're my baby. Like, you're my daughter. I've done everything in my life to protect you. Like, you gotta tell me what's going on. And they reconcile and she adds him to her crown council. And she was like, Who will protect me and look out for my best interests the most? It's my dad. And so they reconcile, and it's so wonderful. Um, Diem and Luther finally kiss. Finally. They kiss and then they're interrupted. It's pretty embarrassing. Um, Diem admits to herself that she's defo-attracted to Luther. Here's a quote. I love the Pepperdin quotes.

SPEAKER_03 52:32

Isn't it fun? Isn't it fun? Okay.

SPEAKER_05 52:34

Okay. Yeah. Her quote is His touch was the changing of seasons, the dead cold gray of winter thawing and giving away the color of hope in spring. The promise of something new, something exquisitely alive.

SPEAKER_02 52:50

I love it so much.

SPEAKER_05 52:52

Pen Cole was having imposter syndrome on Threads today about book four, and I commented to her from us saying, Hey, your designated DM girlies are obsessed with you. Yeah. Like your pros, your just your pros is beautiful. It's beautiful. Beautiful. And it's not it's effortless. Like that is not, that is not something that was like, oh my God, what words do I put in to make this sound? Great. Like it. It's perfect. Yeah. I also told her she's gonna crush book four, and she's probably gonna crush all of us with book four.

SPEAKER_02 53:27

I'm very concerned about the state of my heart.

SPEAKER_05 53:30

Yeah, I'm not even, I don't even know why I should be concerned yet, and I'm already like I have an ulcer in my stomach. Love that quote. Great quote.

SPEAKER_03 53:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 53:38

Um she starts to have feelings for him. Then she gets to go to the Corbois dinner again. I loved this scene. She says, All right, I'm not gonna make that motherfucking mistake dressing like that again. Let me put on this JLo-styled green sheer thing with like gold sandals that lace up to my thighs and like just titties doobie out. Yes, serving cunt, like love, shows up, and everyone is like, uh, okay, bitch. And they're all over her. And this is a family dinner. This is how people dress for him. Like you said, people are naked and they have just shadows covering their bits, like whatever. Like she sits at the head of the table. Uh, she sees that Luther and his little girlfriend are together at the end of the table.

SPEAKER_02 54:38

She's not a corbois.

SPEAKER_05 54:39

She's not a corbois. Who invited her? Who invited her? And she was like, oh my God, he wants her to be there. Eamon invited her, right? I was gonna say to her, I who didn't, I was like, who did invite her? I think Eamon did.

SPEAKER_02 54:51

Because they're Permans. And he knew it would piss uh Diem off. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 54:56

And at the time she she doesn't know at the time, so she's like, oh my god, like they really are together, and he like wants her to be there, and he thinks the kiss is a mistake, and holy fuck, like I'm so embarrassed.

SPEAKER_02 55:06

She Diem do be spiraling a lot. Yes, very much so. She's having a hard time, like anybody that she can trust except for really Teller, and she's not gonna talk to Teller about her crushes. No, no, and like even Eleanor 16.

SPEAKER_05 55:22

Yeah, even Eleanor, she's like, I still don't really know you. Like she's being smart.

SPEAKER_02 55:27

So like you will take Luther's side. So when you're stuck in your own head, you're gonna spiral. 100%.

SPEAKER_05 55:33

So she gets jealous again, seeing them together, does this thing with a dagger and is like, motherfucker, and like gets people's like attention, and she's flirting with Eamon and she's like whatever, trying to get Luther's attention. Luther gets pretty pissed off.

unknown 55:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 55:53

And he just like straight up leaves, right? She fucking leaves. And Eamon's like, oh my god, like they're gonna go fuck. Like, it's gonna be fine. Eamon gives Diem a Corbois pendant and promises to protect her. And on this pendant is the Corbois symbol is a Phoenix with a blue gem. Yeah, like a blue, because they all have blue eyes, um, like rising from the ashes or whatever. And he's like, You're part of the Corbois family now. Boop, here you go, here's your little pendant. And did the foot rub happen now, or is the foot rub happened after the ball? The foot rub happened after the dinner, I think. So the din yeah, the foot rub happens because she gets he storms off and she's like, fine. And then she finally leaves and she goes back to her room and he shows up and he's like, Sup.

SPEAKER_02 56:38

Yeah, and she's like drunk.

SPEAKER_05 56:40

Yeah. Yeah, she's drunk and oh yeah, she gets hammered. She goes back to her room and gets super hammered because she's really jealous and is trying to grapple with those feelings and thinks that he's like off with his little girlfriend. He comes back and he's like, What the fuck are you doing? Like, you're hammered. Like, get it together. Yeah. And he's so commanding of her. And he's like, Lay on the bed, let me take your shoes off for you.

SPEAKER_02 57:06

Oh, because she keeps tripping. Like she can't walk in her shoes because she's so wasted. Yeah. So he has to like unlace them for her.

SPEAKER_05 57:12

And he un and she like lays on her back with her leg up, and he's like standing over her and like unlaces her sandals and takes them off. And then he doesn't just do that. He looks her dead in the eyes and starts massaging her feet for her. And she's like, Holy shit. Holy shit, I love this one. Yeah, this man just wants to take care of me. And like he says something to her, is it escapes me, but he says something that is very squealy. Literally kicking our feet in the air like DM. And it's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 57:47

Real good.

SPEAKER_05 57:48

It's real good. Um, okay, so then yes, time jump, right? It's like this all happens within like a week or two.

SPEAKER_02 57:54

Yeah, pretty quickly. We're moving, we want to get coordinated real fast.

SPEAKER_05 57:58

It's it's real fast. Um, because they don't have a they need a thing. They need three misses of dick. So you need foraging magic. There's all these rules that doobie gotta happen. Uh doobie gotta happen. Whatever.

unknown 58:10

Sure.

SPEAKER_05 58:11

It's all good. We'll keep it in. So we're at the ball, the big ball, and she's like, holy shit, like I gotta learn how to dance. Like, and they've been doing dance lessons and then doing this thing and whatever. I think that's where they accidentally kiss.

SPEAKER_00 58:24

Maybe.

SPEAKER_05 58:24

Yeah, I think so. They're doing like dance lessons at some point. Anyways, um, DM uh shows up to the ball. She's in like a proper dress. I think it's like this pretty white dress. She like shows up in this lovely ball gown. Henry has been uninvited to the ball.

SPEAKER_02 58:41

Henry was told not to come. Basically, like, you're gonna be murdered if you show up here and there's nothing I can do to protect you. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 58:46

She sent him a letter and was like, please don't come. Like, I know I told you to be here. It's not time. I need more time to figure this out. Please don't show up. So she goes about her business and is at the ball, and she has to meet with all of the royal houses, and she has to meet with the realm's uh like representatives.

SPEAKER_02 59:07

Um, and she's impressing all of them, and she meets and she Our girl Eleanor prepared her well.

SPEAKER_05 59:14

She did really good. She meets all these different people, like Arboros, Ignios, whatever. They all give her like different gifts. Like she gets like a a green um vial of stuff that'll come in handy. Magic liquid. Magic liquid. She gets away later. Yeah. Montios, she gets a uh uh invisible cloak that'll always keep you warm because it's where they're from. She gets uh a compass that shows your heart's desire. She gets an orb that will tell you the truth about something. Like she gets all these really cool things that she's like, cool, thanks. Awesome. I don't know what that's for. Thanks for yeah, right. And they're all very useful for different reasons. Henry reveals that they're going to attack. Okay. And that's why she's like, Don't come. Everyone, don't do this. It's gonna be bad. Stand down. He shows up anyways. And she's like, What the fuck? And like runs away from the ball and is like, what are you doing here? All the guardians are out, they're going to attack. And she's like, Oh my god, please don't do this. Stop, throws Henry in the dungeon. She's like, get the fuck out of here. You're gonna die. We gotta get rid of all these people by not alarming everybody because the descended will disseminate all of you. Like you will all be dead. Yeah. And she doesn't, she wants to protect the mortals and not. So her and Luther come up with this plan to there's the foraging magic that's happened that keeps people's powers from bleeding into their other realms so it doesn't cause like throne you're surping and all that stuff. They are able to remove it and allow the Umbrose magic to come through so that the Umbrose representatives, Simon and whoever, some lady. Yeah, and it could be the queen.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:57

I I they don't really say who it is.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:59

I genuinely don't think it is, but I read like several summaries who said that it is, and I was like, I have no memory of that. Yeah, because I think I don't think that's right. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:09

She doesn't like meet the queen face to face until book three.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:13

Until the coronation.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:15

Oh until the coronation. Right. Right. But she feels like she recognizes her, but she was an old lady before. I don't know, maybe she is. I don't know. I don't remember. Maybe Simon. Does Simon tell her? Or does Simon show her? Like show her? Maybe. We'll have to reread it. We have to see it. Anyways, somehow she knows it's the Queen.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:37

Tell us in the comments. Then help. We're stuck.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:41

We're stuck. But she's like very aware of the Queen of Umbrose out of everybody. Like she's like met with her before. She was the old lady that was like, stop taking that flame rube, girl. Like, don't do it. I know things about you. Like, better not.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:53

Queen of Umbrose is disliked by all the other crowns. Like everyone. Most of the other crowns tolerate each other. Yes. Nobody likes Umbrose because she can get in your mind.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:03

And you can't lie to her. You can't be deceptive. So naturally, people don't like her, which I actually actually like her.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:11

Yeah, I like her a lot, but valid that she's not trusted.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:13

For sure. Yeah. Um, so they have to use the uh representatives of Umbrose who have their magic um to tell the guardians to go away. They have mind magic. And so they allow them to do this in their realm and say, do this. While that's happening, they do pick up some stuff, they get into Diem's mind. Simon, she meets Simon, he shows her some very explicit things of them getting it getting down, and she's like, Oh my god, stop. Like he like assaults her in her mind, which she addresses later. All the guardians go away, they have helped. Simon knows what has happened, kind of tuck tucks it away, and she's like, Oh fuck, I do not like this guy. Bad, bad guy. Okay. Henry is still big mad because he's in the dungeon. Okay. They let Henry out. He's so upset, runs away. Then we're at the ball and we get a confrontation between Diem and several of the houses, but mainly House Hanover. And they were like, Show us your magic, bitch. Like, you're not even worthy to do this, whatever. And they keep humiliating her when she's like, No, I can't, like, I won't. And Luther's like, You guys should be so lucky. She would fucking kill all of you. Like, she's so uh powerful, like, shut up. And so she's very flustered, pushes the Hannabear people away. I forget his name, Jesse, something. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:46

Jean.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:47

Jean. There we go.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:48

Jean Hannebear. Sean Hanne Bear.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:51

Um, and Luther dances with her to get her mind off of it and is like, hey, it's gonna be all good, girl. Um, he promises to help create peace between the mortals and descended. Hot, super hot, super, really hot. So hot.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:07

She like doesn't know. Like, she doesn't know that they're on the same side. And yeah. And he was like, I will help you. Like, this quote that I left for you.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:15

Okay. I love it so much. Should I do my narrative voice? Okay. Yeah. Here's a quote. Who says this quote? Luther says it's a good one. Luther says this, okay. I want every breath, every laugh, every tear, every taste of your mouth, every inch of your skin. I want to kneel at your feet, soak in the blood of your enemies, then worship your body until you scream my name. Yes, Diem, I want to serve you in every way a man can.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:46

I love Luther Corbois so much.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:50

And he tells her this uh while they're dancing.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:53

Like in public, like whispers this in her ear while they're dancing.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:57

Like, and then she's like, um, I gotta go to bed.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:01

I gotta go to sleep now.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:03

Like she's gonna go immediately.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:05

Yeah. And then we get to act three. Take it away.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:09

Okay, so this is act three, which look much like um Spider-Man three where everything sucks and falls to shit. This is where everything sucks and falls to shit. Oh my god. Oh my god, you're told. Did you ever watch a Verry Potter musical?

SPEAKER_05 1:05:21

Yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:22

That's a line from that where they're like, this is the part in Spider-Man 3 where everything sucks and falls to shit. And the point is I don't want to be like Spider-Man 3. I hate that movie. I miss a Fairy Potter musical. That's a Deer and Quist vocal sim that lives rent-free in my head for the last probably multiple decades now. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:42

That came out freshman year of college.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:45

Freshman year of college. Okay, we're not multiple decades out of college, but it's pretty close. Anyway, so this is Spider Man 3 where everything sucks and falls to shit. Yeah. So now she's gotta go to all these meetings. She's gotta meet with all of these houses and promise them shit so they don't challenge her. Boring. Um, and she does this and she does mostly good, but she also does not shy away from the fact that she is not gonna just like kill mortals. House Hanavera wants all mortals executed, and she's like, Well, that's insane, so I'm not going to agree to that. And they want like blood packs. Um, and these are not going well. And Andre, her uh father, is in these meetings as a member of her Crown Council, and he's vocal, which he should be because he's a member of the Crown Council, but it also sort of puts him in the public eye a little bit. And um, I really just jumped right into this bullet point because I didn't know how to work up to it. But she finds out after like a little bit, a couple of these meetings, Andre doing a couple of things. They have a little moment where she's like, I think you shouldn't be on my crown council anymore, actually, because I don't want you to be in danger. Um, and I think it would be best if it was a descended. I don't want to say it. I know. I know you have to though. Andre is brutally murdered. Horribly uh horribly murdered in her family home. Alone. Alone. Uh mortal lover is like written in blood. Mortal lover, rebel scum, rebel scum, and some other shit that also makes it very clear that it was the Hannah Bear's family. Half blood. Half blood.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:25

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:27

Um murder. Very clear that it's the Hannah Bear family. And it is, it was literally so emotional. It was an exceptionally well-written scene. It was devastating. It's one of the saddest um deaths that I have read. Um, this leave really got me. Uh I don't even want to read the rest of this, but here we keep going. In in her grief, Diem like collapses to the floor in the home of her, in her childhood home and basically explodes and turns the house to ash and everything in it, including Andre's body, all of Teller's like homework and like notes from school that he was using to help her, everything is burned to the ground. Luther just holds her while she burns, um, and you learn that like your magic can't hurt people that you love, which is kind of sweet, but like not a thing I want to focus on because I'm really sad. Yeah, and it's very heartbreaking.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:20

And Luther is like it it's such a cinematic scene. The way it's written, it's she gets there, she is like what's her name? Alex Alex throws her on the ground on Sarai. Yeah. They go there. She's like, we gotta go now.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:40

Shows up to the house and she's like, Why? What's going on? Luther's like outside, like leaning. His sword is in the ground. He's like leaning and it's like, I am I I'm so sorry. I am uh and she's like, what the fuck? And he's like, please don't go in there. Please don't go in there. And she's like, What the fuck happened? Like, let me in my house. Where's my dad? And like, what happened? And he's like, please don't, please don't.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:02

She's like, shoves him out of the way and sees her dad in this her large like battle battle-tested protector.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:14

Like, who she once again just had a falling out with being like, I'm sorry, I can't have you do this. And he's upset, and she's like, You have to know that this is best, and she tells him to like go away, and it's the last time she ever sees him, and he is horribly dead. Yeah, you can just and the the explosion, like you can just see it, like and everything, like, oh yeah, when that is adapted, it's gonna be really hard to watch and so beautiful at the same time, if done right.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:47

I think the most beautiful scene is that her descended friends have a funeral for Andre, and they all wear black because it's the mortal custom, and I am gonna cry. It's fine. Um, but just like all of them wearing black because they know that it's the like the what the mortals would do, and that's the way to honor Andre, who is a mortal. Um everything's fine. Moving on.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:12

Moving on.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:13

And it shows that it's like it's really emotional.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:15

It shows that it's like possible that the descended can understand the mortals the way that the mortals have had to understand the descended type of a thing. Like it's very um, I'm gonna cry.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:28

Fuck like fuck you, Penko. Fuck you, terrible.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:32

Yeah, that yeah, that's a hard part. But funeral really got me. It really did, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:38

Um, okay, so she has to keep going and being the queen. She has to keep sitting through these meetings. We get sassy give no fucks DM, which I like that DM a lot. She's be she's like stabbing knives into tables and like sitting like slouched in her throne. Um she's like my dad dad, I don't give a fuck. Yeah, I'm a fan of I don't give a fuck DM. Same. Uh she lashes out at Luther because he said he would protect her family. She's still like I know I said that really fast because I didn't want to dwell on it. Uh it's not his fault. I know. She's still like sort of pretending to be a guardian. Um, and Henri and Vance are mad at her. Who cares? And she continues to try and fail to use her powers. And she's in danger. Like, this is it's we're now this is dire. Like the challenge, yeah. I wrote you in danger, girl. Um, the challenging is like tomorrow, and she cannot use her power. Has got nothing. Um, so the challenging approaches, tensions between the houses escalate. House Burnham tries to pressure Lily into a political marriage. DM says, No, not at my watch. You definitely don't have to do that. Um, and then at the final reception before the challenging, big bummer, Remus strips Luther of all of his titles and his council role and puts fuck ass Eamon in charge.

unknown 1:12:08

Fuck ass Eamon.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:09

Fuck ass Aemon.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:11

Um, feeling lost, Diem uses her magical compass to lead to what she wants, uh, which is uh she halves on Soraya and flies away and it takes her to her family home, which is now Ash. But Luther's jeweled sword is still in the ground. Um, and it just reminds her that what she wants is home and what she wants is a family. Uh and that's also really emotional.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:33

And then while she's using magical objects, she also uses the orb of answering, uh, which confirms that both of her biological parents are alive, which is very fascinating. So we're trying to get her out of the challenging conundrum that we're in. One terrible fucking idea that Luther has is to marry Ileana. It is that that will make House Hanna Bare not challenge Diem. It's a terrible idea. Diem says, don't do that. Please, like, don't sacrifice yourself for me. We're gonna figure this out. I'll be fine. Everything's fine. Maybe no one will challenge me. What a set. Um and then big plot twist, which like of course this was not real. On the way to the arena, Diem discovers that Aamon, not Luther, is the descendant that and that Henry saw trample the mortal child. Uh it turns out that Luther had borrowed Aemon's horse the night that Diem was uh crowned queen. And all along Luther has been a good person. And Eamon has been a shit bag. Yep. Yeah, not we all know that, but now Luther uh DM like really does.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:42

And there's like a brief moment when he like comes back because they're trying to teach her how to do her magic in the dungeon again. And she's like, it's not working, and he's like, it's okay, I'm gonna marry Eliana and it's gonna be fine. And she's like, No, the fuck you're not. And then he goes away, and Taryn and DM have a little chat.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:58

Yeah, that's a cute moment.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:00

And he's like, he loves you. Like he wants to be with you.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:04

Like I don't know why you haven't figured this out yet.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:06

But how do you Yeah, he's completely in love with you, and you I hope you choose him because he will protect you. Please don't choose the man you're betrothed to. I understand that you love him, but he doesn't. He's not gonna help you. No. And she is has she when she's see doing secret guardian fuck shit, she's like bringing them Vance and Henry through the bloodlocks or whatever. There's like blood locks, and she's like, here's this ship, and they're like, Cool, we're gonna use this ship for stuff. It kind of falls away when they almost get caught, and like she's like, Guys, wait. And they're like, Oh, see you later, bye. And like don't even stick around to help her, which is a really fucked up too. I love that moment between Diem and Taryn, though, because then you really see like, oh, he's a good dude. Like he's his he's really is his best friend, and we love him. Oh, act four. All right, gotta wrap this bitch up. Here we go. Act four, the challenging and the coronation. Okay, so the world is around here, the earth. Round. Um But have enough. I'm late tired. We're having that vampire.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:22

We're not millennials. Everything's fine.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:25

Peak millennials. What is it? We're peak millennials. Because we were born in the middle of the millennial era. And it's our whole personality now.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:36

Okay. Luther gives DM a new medallion because she lost the other one somehow. Um, and the Phoenix has a gray stone matching her gray eyes. And on the back of it is a B for Bellator, because she'll always be a Bellator. Cry. He loves her so much.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:58

He loves her so much.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:59

He is truly the best book boyfriend. I can't get over it. Um, they kiss publicly before the challenging begins. They show up to the challenging, they clip clap on the horse. He gives her the thing, and she's like, fuck, I'm nervous. And he's like, it's gonna be fine. And they walk up together and he's like, Yeah. And everyone's like, oh, oh my God. And she's like, holy fuck. Okay, oh my god. Sorry, we forgot something. Oh, we did. She went to go break up with Henry.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:29

Oh yeah, and he's having an affair.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:32

And he and we don't know that yet, but yes. I mean, I I do now. I do now, but and we can guess. I was I knew that that Lana girl was banging that Lana girl.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:43

You told me that, and I was like, I don't know, maybe.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:46

For a long time.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:48

Long time. Like before she was court, like she was crowned. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:54

Yeah. That's why she was acting so like, oh my god, don't look at me, or whatever. Also, that scene in book three where she'd like, he's nine. I was like, shut up nine now. You can have him. He's disgusting. Why do you think I'm here? I don't want him. So she she does go to his house to be like, hey, I'm gonna end this. We can't be together. I don't want to marry you. Obviously, she's realizing she has feelings for Luther, but like that's not part of it. That motherfucker's not even there. He's having an affair.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:22

Yeah, he's like away and didn't even tell her that he left the fucking print.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:26

Went to Arboros in uh Ar Arbor, yeah, I think that is Arboros. It's like Arborarium. Yeah. Arboros and uh goes with Lana there. He's not even there the day before she could fucking die. He doesn't even show up. Does not show up, does not let her know, writes her a little note that's like, sorry, gotta go, H. So she's like, fuck that guy.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:52

I think he didn't write that down because it that pisses me off so bad I blocked it out of my memory.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:56

Yeah. Yeah, because it's like it's die and you hit him with him. And his dad is like, I'm sorry, DM.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:02

Like when your dad admits that you're a shit bag, you're probably a shit bag.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:07

Yeah, he was like, he just like he's not really good with goodbyes.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:12

I'm sorry, figure it out.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:14

Figure it out. Oh, maybe she still known. Anyways, so she's good with this kiss then. So this public kiss happens between her and Luther, and she's like, oh, okay. Great. Then she steps forward and they're like, anyone wanna challenge her? Everybody challenges literally every house, every single house, including Luther. Luther shot Oh girl.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:44

I hate this, but I thought it was real. Like I thought that you had been tricking her the whole time. Same. I hate that I doubted my boy. Um let's do it. But I really got so mad.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:57

I was like listen, I thought it was real. You want to know why? Because men do this to women all the time. That's why. That's why we all dead reading. We all thought that was real because men, time and time again, love bomb and say they're going to protect these women, and the first chance they get to not have to do that, to do something for themselves, they will take it. Men just do that. Not uh not men in off campus, but or this book.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:32

They never.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:33

They would never, to be fair. That was never.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:36

But I fully thought it was real. I thought that the whole time he had been tricking her, and this was his plan all along.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:42

Yes. And I was like, Remus is in on it, holy fuck. Like they all knew Amon's in on it, Eleanor was in it, everybody was in on it. And they were like, We're gonna bait this dumb bitch, he's gonna take the crown, and we're gonna be all good. She's out of our hair. Like, I was furious when he stepped forward to challenge her. Yeah. Well, now he find we find out that he planned to sacrifice himself so that Diem could win safely.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:08

He's gonna make his magic come from her and kill himself. I'm so sorry, Luther.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:13

Like, he was like, I'm just gonna die so that you will be safe because that's my purpose, and he loves her. She's like, absolutely not, because he's the strongest, right? Like they go with the strongest is supposed to.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:26

He's supposed to, but she can technically pick if there are multiple challengers, and there are, there are 13. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:30

And so she was like, This is the rules, like I'm gonna pick my own. So she love this. She refuses, and instead instead she picks Ron Gislain. She says, hmm. How do I know this motherfucker? Oh. I watched you kill your half-mortal child and mortal woman while I tried to fight you, and I watched you kill them. So yeah. You know what? Your death is gonna be justified. Hell yeah. Which I was like, oh, genius. Love.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:18

She does. Also, I think pisses some people off of like, girl, you at war. But like, I like that she holds fast to the like, I don't want to just straight up murder someone. She's true to herself.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:27

Yeah, she's she's true to herself, and then it can be her downfall and it can be her strength. And it's depending on where we are in the story, which uh that's why I love her. She's such a well-rounded girl, woman, queen. I love her. Queen shit. Um, okay, so she goes to battle him. During the battle, Diem finally fully unlocks her magic. Thank God. Thank thank the kindred. Thank the kindred, impeccable climbing, really canonically better. Perfect. Right at the last minute. Yeah. She experiences a vision calling her the daughter of the forgotten. During this thing, like all her magic comes out. She's like, holy fuck. She defeats and kills Ron after he attacks dishonorably.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:13

Now, he was gonna let this man go.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:16

She was gonna let him go. She absorbed fine, she's like absorbing his magic somehow. Her magic comes in, then she's absorbing it. She's running around like Hunger Game style in this shit, and she's like, I'm dirt. She's throwing dirt in his face. Yeah, like, oh god, like hiding behind pallets, like, and then the her magic comes out. She is like, I can't kill him. What example does that show? I'm not better than anybody else. Like, I'm not doing this. So she's like, get out of here. And he's like, Thank you so much. Like, mercy, thank you so much. She turns her back, he goes right forward, and she's like, Fuck you, and kills him.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:49

Not only does she kill him, she like evaporates him. She wolfs him, which is phenomenal. And like it's one of those scenes where it's like everybody thinks that she doesn't know that he's behind her, and she's like, poof.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:02

And it's exactly it's why we have the wolf scene in book one.

unknown 1:23:07

Good.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:07

Like we see that she can do this thing where she's just gone and she's like, oh fuck. Like, and she didn't control it yet. Like she just was like, Oh, holy shit, that was kind of lucky. Like, thank God. She then is like, I've had enough of this fuck shit. All y'all gonna respect me now. So she unleashes all of her power, she makes the entire um arena bubble thing goes dark. There's like a yeah, a protection shield for everybody. Um, and she makes all of it go dark and like glows and like rises up to everybody and is like, fucking hell, like makes her voice like project everywhere, and she forces all of the houses into an allegiance and to support her. And she's like, You any of you fucking step out of line, you're all dead meat. Like, I'm so over this. And everybody's like, Holy shit, she's so powerful.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:00

We also, I forgot this. I'm uh, but we realized that the Hannah Veres made all of the other houses challenge her. Yes. They were like, if we all challenge her, she can't punish all of us, surely. But everybody turns tail real fast and is like, Marv Hanna Ver made me do it. Yeah. I'm so sorry. She was really scary, but now you're scarier and I'm so sorry. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:23

And uh when she wins, and after Luther has challenged her, uh-oh. Somebody broke somebody broke a blood pact. So Remus' magic. Bye bye. Goodbye. He has no power. It's amazing. He has no magic.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:43

I love that Luther's like, yeah, that was a nice little perk, but I definitely would have done this anyway. But delighted that he has no magic.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:49

He was like, What do you mean you made a blood pact with him? And he was like, It's fine, like he has no magic. And he was like, Holy shit. Like, oh my god. That's fun. And finally, like, my dad is not gonna be a dickhead to me forever. Afterwards, they get out of there because they gotta go to the coronation.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:03

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:05

They go back, she's like, Okay, we gotta get ready, we got coronation next day. They travel together to the coronation. Another big plot twist. That's what I love about these books. There's plot twist after plot twist after plot twist, more and more and more. Luther reveals he is also half mortal, and he confesses that Remus murdered his real mother, who was immortal.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:25

And that's I didn't write this down, but that's where his scar is from.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:28

That's where his scar is from. Yep, he tried to save her, and uh Remus almost killed him in the process of it because he was like, get him out of there, and then he was like, Oh shit, holy cow. And so that's why Luther's real mom or uh stepmom uh is really she don't like him very much. She's she's very but she's so protective of Lily. Then they get to the coronation. It is the island of Coralie. Coral Coral?

SPEAKER_03 1:25:59

Don't remember how they say it.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:01

It's got like a little poop thing over it, uh accent. It's like Coral. Coril. Corril? Yeah, interesting. Coril. New okay, Coril. The island of Coril is where they have this uh coronation that happens all the time. They go to the temple and Diem gets there, and she's like, holy shit. She like meets like the Arborus Queen, the all the Fortos King and stuff, and they're like, whatever. They're hella rude to her right away. Um and they do this thing where they like get it by their pyres, and there's a thing, the fire lights, and they're gonna go to the heart stone, and you donate your blood, and you put it on the heartstone, and it coronates and it's a it's like a weird donate. I mean process You donate some plasma. Um and you put it on the heart stone and all good in the hood, then she's coronated.

SPEAKER_06 1:26:57

Sure.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:57

Okay, so uh because of the suspicions, she's like, Okay, whatever. I'm gonna try to make nice with this old ass king, this Monteos king who can't walk up the stairs. Like, and so she's helping him and he calls her the daughter of the forgotten. And she's like, Why the fuck do people keep telling me that? I'm having visions of this man calling me that. Like, people keep calling me the what is that?

SPEAKER_02 1:27:22

Umbrose called her that in the alley, too. So this isn't the third time that she's been called daughter of the forgotten.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:27

Yes, and yeah, a fourth because Ulter says it to her when he wakes up. And then she has she has that vision in the arena, and then she hears it again and she's like, Holy shit, like what is this? I should probably start looking into this. Yeah, maybe you should Google that, girl.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:43

Um This is one thing where I was like, girl, look it up. Like, what does that mean? People keep calling you your brother. Ask him if he's ever heard of that.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:53

Ask someone. Luther is like obsessed with like the blessed mother, be like, Do you have you ever heard of this? Yeah, like ask. Start asking questions. She gets her blood sliced, puts it on the stone. The stone cracks.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:07

Explodes.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:08

Explodes. And she's like, oh my God, it's because of me and the sofos uh representative is like, um, they're like you're an imposter. And everyone's like, oh my God. And she's already was like, oh my God. And then everything explodes in chaos. And during the chaos, Diem hears her mother yell, DM, run. And she looks and she sees her mom's copper hair running by, boom, explodes, and a book.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:48

I lost my goddamn mind.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:50

I lost my fucking mind. I was like, bitch. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 1:28:53

Because like mortals can't be on career. How did you get there? No way for her to be there. Where the fuck? What do you what?

SPEAKER_05 1:29:01

Okay. And we we know that there's an inkling, like, we've we've gathered that she is the leader of the Guardians. We have not gathered that Luther has at helped the Guardians at all, but he has said, I've been working with your mom about behalf mortal children. So we there we're like, what the fuck? So we're like, what's going on? End of book.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:21

Until take care, Emily. Uh so Aurely has just been chilling on Koreal for like a year now. Waiting for the coronation. Uh, with the intention to kill all of the crowns of what's the whole place called? Like the whole continent? Emarian. Emarian, thank you. Killing all of the crowns of Amarion. Uh totally not expecting one of them to be her daughter, which is fair because that is quite the twist.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:58

Literally, like, ma'am, you couldn't have checked.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:02

Yeah. So Luther has obviously escorted DM to Kareel and knows that Aureli is on Kareel. So he goes to find her and is like, girl, you win for a surprise. Um, and he's like, You should maybe not blow up the temple. Don't ask too many questions, but like, don't do that. Um, and she like slices him across the Achilles, which is a horrific thing to do. Horrible. And she's like, Can we find it and he's gonna heal pretty quickly, but like cripples him, runs to the temple to blow it up, and then she's not the one lighting the bomb, like the bomb is already going off. So she runs really just to see it, I guess, and then sees that DM is in there, and then is like, what the fuck? And then screams at DM to run. Yeah. And that's the end of the book. So now we have really more questions than answers. Um, about Arlie, what she's up to, how did she get to Kareel? How long is she like, what is she doing there? Why is she the worst mother of the year? Like, was she dropped on her head or something? Like, why are you like this?

SPEAKER_05 1:31:05

Where did yeah, why is where did DM come from then? If you hate if you hate the descendants so much, how on earth do you have a half-descal-descended daughter? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:15

Clearly, something happened.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:18

So it's like, yeah, the answer is it's wild having them now.

unknown 1:31:22

I know.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:23

No spoilers though.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:24

No, no spoiliers, but like knowing them, I'm I'm still mad at her. I'm like, fuck off.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:28

Like, you're an idiot. I know now I like I know well everything there is to know, except for obviously book four, but like I still hate her. You still made terrible choices. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:38

I don't forgive you. Like you're a bad mom. I don't care. Like, I don't forgive you at all. Like holy shit.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:44

So much happens in your next eight chapters.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:47

I'll let you know. I'm I'm gonna go read them. I'm gonna go read them right after this.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:51

Uh I expect a voice note of significant length.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:55

So I was thinking of either doing uh I'll like I'll send you a voice note. Um, I also was thinking of setting up my camera.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:03

Okay. I was gonna maybe set up my camera as I read the last couple chapters. I think you can and like time-lapse it.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:10

For some content. I think that'd be cute. See that on the gram, guys. See it on the gram. Okay, guys, let's wrap this up. This is an extra long episode, guys.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:20

It's a good book.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:21

It's a really big book. The next one is also going to be an extra long one because, well, our fan cast will be our fan cast, but then the next recap of Heat of the Everflame will also be very long because it is a 900-page book. It's in cra it's in crazy.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:38

It's in crazy. It could be more brief, but that's not that fun.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:41

That's not fun. I don't like to do a recap of like, remember when this happened? I like to dive, we like to dive in. We like to tell you our real-time thoughts and feelings of the things that happened. That's why we're here. It's gonna be a longer episode, so it's gonna happen with the longer books. We're simply digest it. Yeah, do it. Then our voices will sound like it'll be great. Okay, Emily, before we go, who are we casting next week?

SPEAKER_02 1:33:04

Oh my god, okay. So we are casting most of the descendants and the uh residents of Lumos City as opposed to Mortal City. So we have Eleanor Corbois, Alix Corbois, Taryn Corbois, Eamon Corbois, Ileana Hanover, Jean Hanover, Marth Hanover, Remus Corbois, our boy Perth.

unknown 1:33:27

Perth! Perth!

SPEAKER_05 1:33:29

We didn't really mention Perth, but uh Perth is in it, and he's alive.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:32

He's dedicated to Diem.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:34

He is who she saved from the fire, and he truly is so dedicated to her.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:39

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:40

Oh no.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:41

He's fine. Uh we also meet Simon. Uh we also meet Simon, who's a fucking creep. Uh we could move him to the next book, but I think he's fine in this one. I think let's put him in here. Yeah, we're also gonna cast Ron Gislain because he dies, and that's fun. And he's a bad person.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:56

And we got a lot of people in the next book to cast. We got all the the kings, queens, regents. All we got a lot of people.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:03

We got um, what's his name? Zalaric.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:08

Which I I was reading as like Zalaric.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:11

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:12

If if they say Zalaric, I like that.

SPEAKER_00 1:34:15

Zalaric.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:16

Different. Wow, okay. So that's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven. We got eleven. It's gonna be a big one.

SPEAKER_00 1:34:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:23

We're gonna have to keep some of them tight, but I don't think we need like long explanations for Ron and Marth and John, but we do need to see who they are.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:32

Yeah, because they're they're pretty important. They're prominent.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:35

They're prominent and they're gonna be, I think they're gonna be pro because we haven't dealt with the Hanovias yet.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:40

Okay? There's still like a pro there's still a problem.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:43

There's still a problem. They definitely killed her dad. And somebody's gonna want, somebody's gonna have to do something.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:48

And like at the end of Book Three, there keep being like DM shit's happening like back in your home city. Mm-hmm. You gotta go back. Like, you've been away for a long time.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:57

Girl, you gotta go home. It's time to go home. Um, speaking of going home, let's go to bed. Okay, goodbye. Let's go to bed. Thank you for listening to another full recap of Fantastic. We will see you for the fancast. I'm just gonna say goodnight to all you. She's the he's the gates, the shadow daddies, and the face. Good night. Good night. Good night. And everybody go watch off campus. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:19

Okay, bye.