Where I Left Off
Welcome to Where I Left Off, a bookish podcast. I'm your host, Kristen Bahls. Join me to hear my recommendations of a mix of young adult, new adult, romance, mystery, and thriller novels.
In each episode, I dive into the intricate worlds crafted by talented authors, exploring the characters, plots, and the emotions that make you want to throw your television out the window, because we both know the book is always better than the movie. Whether you carry a book everywhere you go and already have your own Bookstagram, or are just trying to make your Goodreads goal, Where I Left Off is the podcast for you.
From heartwarming romances to spine-tingling mysteries, I cover it all. Sometimes, I'll delve deep into a single novel, and other times, I'm filling your TBR with multiple reads.
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Where I Left Off
A Quicksilver by Callie Hart Deep Dive with Paige Woodrow
Thanks to Paige Woodrow who you may know as @lostinthepaigeofabook and @maasbluey on Instagram.
We break down the fantasy novel Quicksilver by Callie Hart. This is a spoiler filled episode!
Books mentioned in this episode:
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- Stephanie Plum Series - One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
- Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Hannah Swensen series - Chocolate Chip Murder by Joanne Fluke
- Darkness Loves Company by Sarah Blair
- Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
- Caraval by Stephanie Garber
- Power Play by Chelsea Curto
- Clean Point by Meg Jones
- Her Night at the Museum by Bryn Donovan
- My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.
For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
Welcome back. I'm Kristen Balls and you're listening to when I Left Off a bookish podcast, and today I'm joined by Paige Woodrow from Lost in a Page of a Book and Mass Bluey on Instagram. Thanks for coming back again, paige. Yeah, it's so great to be here. I love coming on Yay, and we always break down books, and today we tried something different, jumping into fantasy. This time I feel like we talk about a lot of romance, because you know we both love romance, but we went for Quicksilver by Callie Hart this time, yes, but before we get into breaking down Quicksilver and again, this will be a spoilery deep dive into Quicksilver. So if you have not read it, stop, go read it and then come back to this episode, because we are not going to be holding any like plot twist or spoilers back on this one. So, before we get into it, what are you currently reading right now?
Speaker 2:Well, right now I'm reading Onyx Storm and I have about 15% left and just in case anybody that's listening hasn't read it yet. I'm not going to say anything because I don't want to know people's reviews, I don't want to know their thoughts. I just want to make up my own mind about how I feel, and so I am reading it, and that's all you need to know, because I don't want to spoil anything, anything for anybody, not even with my feelings.
Speaker 1:I have not read fourth wing yet, uh, but I do plan to get into it. I have the first book on my bookshelf back there and I was going to start it. And then I realized there was no way that I was going to get through the first two books before onyx storm came out. So I decided to just kind of wait, let the spoilers filter through and then, once those are done, start it. Because decided to just kind of wait, let the spoilers filter through and then, once those are done, start it? Because I it's kind of like a court of thorns and roses.
Speaker 1:When I see a spoiler, anything like that, I have no frame of reference, so I have absolutely no idea what's going on. So I wanted to stay in that bubble while all the spoilers were kind of out and about on social media. Yeah, that's super smart, we'll see. But I'm excited to get into it Because, yeah, I don't know how I've made it this long without reading A Court of Thorns and Roses or Fourth Wing, but I have not. And I will get there, like I'm reading Mistborn right now, but I haven't read A Court of Thorns and.
Speaker 1:Roses, or yeah, I read that. I'm only on like page 50. But I do really like it. I think that Brandon himself said it was kind of like Ocean's 11 meets the Hobbit and it's definitely more of like a heist situation. Oh yeah, like a heist. That's fun, yeah. So I like how it's getting into that and like his magic system. He explains it really well, he defines everything. So I mean I'm page flagging a lot and like really annotating it, but it's so easy to flip back and understand what's going on because he literally breaks it down for you, which is really nice because it feels like a good baby's first epic fantasy, because you're still going to be able to follow it and it's really funny and it's getting more fast paced. So far, I mean, I'm literally have only read the prologue and I'm on chapter four right now. So I was still kind of in the world building and it's like just starting to pick up.
Speaker 2:Nice. Oh, I'm also reading. I just started, actually last night, because I was like I need something that's like just silly and easy. The newest Janet Ivanovich book. I am obsessed with the. There's like one for the money, two for the dough. Have you ever heard of those or read those? I've heard of them but I haven't read them. So yeah, we're on number 31 now and I was telling Matthew I was like Can you believe I've read every single one of these? Like I had, so like I was into reading those before. I was like into reading.
Speaker 2:It was like one of the first books that ever made me laugh out loud. And like they're just quick, it's pure popcorn. You know, they're just quick and easy, it's and it's just the copy paste. You know like it's the same formula, the formula situation, but I eat it up. It's just nice to like put my brain in a place where, like I know, her car is going to blow up. I know she's not going to be able to decide which guy she loves. I know they're going to eat donuts. Like I know they're cracking jokes and I'm just here like watching it.
Speaker 1:So I was going to say it's like a rom-com mystery right.
Speaker 2:Um, I wouldn't say it's a rom-com. Like the piece is very, very, very light. There is it cracks me up too, because like she started writing these books, you know, like in the 90s and the technology and everything as she goes through the series remains the same of our time. Oh, wow, so like they've got iphones and everything now, yeah, and you know, but in the first books they're listening to like cassette tapes and stuff like that. It's so funny. So like time has clearly passed and so it's been like you know, 30 years. So she should be like 60 years old by now and she's like the same age and her grandma should be like 120 years old by now. Like she's still. So it's like it cracks me up to like they're all the same age, basically, but like still time has passed.
Speaker 2:She's a bail bonds person and so like she tracks down people who have broken their bond has passed. She's a bail bonds person and so like she tracks down people who have broken their bond, except for she's a complete klutz and like shouldn't even have this job. And then she's like teamed up with lula, who is an ex-ho who cracks me up to no end. Like they are hilarious together and so they're always like trying to get the person, and then of course she always gets tangled up into some like bigger scheme of somebody trying to, you know, kidnap somebody or kill somebody, and so she usually ends up getting kidnapped. Every book, her car gets blown up, it's a thing. And so there's a cop that she's like has a love connection with, and then there's also, I guess, special forces kind of guy that she also has a love connection with, and so, like every book, she's like I don't know like who, I like you know, but it's kind of just like an under and it's just hilarious for like 30 years now Can't pick a guy.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, yeah, that's kind of like the Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke. It has, I don't know, I think it's coming up on like 30 books too and it's Cozy Mystery. There's like a Hallmark show based around it, but anyway she's. Also there's a cop and one of the like townspeople that she has a love triangle with and she can never decide. And it drives me crazy and it's funny, because in the show she picks someone, but in the books she doesn't choose, she still can't choose, and someone, but in the books she doesn't choose, she still can't choose.
Speaker 2:And so it's really funny to see both play out in parallel. Yeah, it's. I used to be, like you know, expecting her to eventually like make a choice, and now I'm just like, if you ever make a choice, like I know, the series is going to be over. So, like, don't make a choice, like just just completing them both.
Speaker 1:Long is fine, but that's cool that she's able to keep up with the same characters for that many books. I know I know a lot of authors get tired. I mean, understandably, of you know, 31.
Speaker 2:I'm like wow, how do you have that many ideas like oh my gosh, and I feel like they've all been very unique, aside from, you know the formula of expectation but, just like you know, the storyline is always a different bad person, bad guy or whatever. But I think it's nice because, like, even though they're all in the same world, in the same series, it's not like I have to reread them to know it's good because they're all standalone problems, you know. So that's nice, because there's no way I have time to reread 30 books no, no.
Speaker 1:I wish I had time to reread 30 books.
Speaker 2:I know. So what are you reading besides Mistborn, because I know you always are reading like 10 things.
Speaker 1:You know me too well. So I have Mistborn, I have Darkness Loves Company, which is a prequel to one of my favorite fantasy books of last year, darkness Shifting. So my friend Sarah wrote these and, oh my gosh, I love Darkness Shifting because because it has like it's urban fantasy and it has a buddy cop element. So I like the mix of she's a paranormal investigator, so it has like the buddy cop element plus the paranormal stuff. Like right now they're dealing with demon koalas, yeah, and it's like in the streets of New York and no one knows about the paranormal things and they have like their own kind of like secret detective agency and so they solve for those. So anyway, and there's some romance in there too. So I just like how it's like a mix of different genres. So I'm reading that and that's actually a buddy read with Randa from Booked by Randa. We're buddy reading that.
Speaker 2:Y'all have really been getting into the I know we, we really like doing buddy reads.
Speaker 1:We're pretty much like constantly in a buddy read. We keep saying that we're gonna start. Um, he's your book, bestie. Exactly, exactly, we're gonna start. What is it called? Uh, stephanie garber, not car of all, but the other one, uh, once upon a broken heart. That's what we're gonna start together. You haven't read those yet. No, I did Caraval but I haven't read those. So yeah, we're going to read them together.
Speaker 2:I liked those so much more than Caraval, like really Insanely more, yes, okay, like incomparable. I can't even believe they were written by the same person, except for Akina. She annoys me a little bit she annoyed me to no end.
Speaker 2:In especially finale, it was very evident the way that she describes things she'll be like, oh my gosh, like I should get the book and like literally read you the line because I just can't even with it. It's like the night smelled of luck and glitter and I'm like luck and glitter and I'm like luck and glitter. Don't have smells like what do you mean? Or she'll be like he tasted like moon, light and shadows and forgotten dreams and I'm like those things don't have taste.
Speaker 2:Like what are you talking about? Like her like similes and metaphors, just like were a bit extreme, especially in the last two car of all books, and I was just like stop. And I mean she definitely threw in some of those that I had to like roll my eyes at throughout the once upon a broken heart books, but like there really weren't nearly as many at all. So like I don't know if she realized or got a new editor or what, but I was very grateful that she held back because I was like if I have to read about things smelling like luck and broken dreams, like I'm down my ass.
Speaker 1:That's hilarious. I did not even notice that, like at all, but I listened to it on audio book.
Speaker 2:So the last book I did the audio of and I enjoyed it so much more and I think it's because that stuff didn't stand out as much, because what would happen is my brain would get stuck on it and I would like read the same line over and over and over. This doesn't make sense. This doesn't make sense and I would keep reading it being like trying to make it make sense but it's like a nonsensical thing and so listening to it kind of it was like my brain could just like ignore it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah Not important to it, kind of it was like my brain could just like ignore it. Yeah, yeah, not important, so I think that that really helped a lot. I listened to all of those on audio so I didn't even notice any any of that at all.
Speaker 2:I will say once upon a broken heart books. I really loved reading those with my eyes because, okay, she does put like the notes and all that kind of stuff and like the news there's newspaper articles and like it's just really pretty Like I love the formatting of it and like the you know, the design that she did, like it really put me like in the story a lot, which is fun. So I don't know if you're able to like get your hands on the real books, at least to just like see what it looks like? Yeah, cause it's really cool.
Speaker 1:I did. I did buy the real ones because I'm meeting Stephanie in March and so I wanted to be able to get her to sign those. There's like this North Texas Teen Book Festival or something like that. It's gonna have Lauren Roberts, jennifer Lynn Barnes, stephanie Garber, who else are like a bunch of other people KL Alter, I think, like there are a bunch of them, rl Stein so they're all going to be there signing.
Speaker 2:So I was buying. Don't tell her what I said about moonlight and luck and whatever.
Speaker 1:That's her, that's her style. Yeah, don't tell her. I said that I definitely will not. But yeah, that's what else? I am okay. So I've Mistborn Darkness Loves Company. And then why am I blanking? Oh, power Play. I'm reading Power Play by Chelsea Curto. It's the second book after Face Off and the DC stars, so it's hockey romance and whoa, it's spicier than the first one, like it is really it's a lot than the first one, like it is.
Speaker 1:really it's a lot, but the first one, oh my gosh, is so good and it's not that the second one isn't, it's just a totally different like. They're just totally different characters, totally different themes going on. So almost done with that. And then I'm listening to Clean Point by Meg Jones, which is tennis romance.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm currently not listening to anything, oh well, so usually I've got my kindle, my book book and my, my, kindle I'm actually reading onyx storm on my kindle.
Speaker 2:I'm insane. I have three physical copies and the kindle version and eventually I'm making my husband buy the audiobook because I have a problem. But I just finished listening to her night at the museum. It was super cute. It was like, oh, I'll tell you about in a second. But I finished that and like, when I finished onyx storm, I actually want to listen to quick silver because I've heard the audiobook is really good and so my plan is to list is for that to be my next audiobook. So I was like I'm so close to being done, yeah, with onyx storm, I'm just gonna like you know, so I can start that next.
Speaker 2:But so her night at the museum, it was just a cute, ridiculous rom-com. So it's like this art conservator, or whatever she like works at an art museum and she like restores pieces and she works with sculptures, and so this night sculpture comes in and while, while you know, he ends up being able to like talk into her head. So actually he was like turned into a knight by some sorcerer, you know, way back in his time in like the 1400s or 1300s. How does that work? He was like he was born in like 1432 or something like. Is that the 1300s or the 1400s or the 1500s, isn't it like? Isn't it like not? It's like a year behind or a year ahead or it's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I thought it was behind 1300s then I think so. Anyway, he was from then, and so she ends up kissing him, which makes him turn to life, and I tell you it's ridiculous. It's so thin, but it was just hilarious because like he, you know talking, like he lives from thin and so she's trying to like teach him about, like, the way the world is now and um, so that was just really entertaining. I felt like it was about two hours longer than it needed to be, but it was just like that silly, light, fun, romantic kind of thing. That was nice, but it also there wasn't a lot of spice, but the spice that was there was very descriptive, but I mean, there really wasn't very much of it, it was just maybe like three times.
Speaker 1:Oh, I do love, on audiobooks, how you can fast forward though. Yeah, it makes it easier than trying to skim it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can just hit the fast forward button definitely, and I feel like I want to say they were sort of like contained, like easy to skip, maybe like in a chapter. I don't remember if you could skip the whole chapter or not, but but yeah, that it was pretty entertaining that kind of reminds me of, like my roommate is a vampire, just like cute and weird and quirky and just fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like what you need after, exactly so okay. One last question about Onyx Storm Are you liking reading it with your Kindle the best right now? Like why did you decide to go with your Kindle versus the physical copy?
Speaker 2:Well, kind of two reasons. The main one, and it has been kind of my one big epic fantasy books like that I just like to read on my kindle because they're just so big, like the book is just heavy and cumbersome, and I like to do a lot of my reading like at night before I go to sleep, so it's hard to like play comfortably with a ginormous book. I also like to bring my book. You know, when I go pick up the kids it's like I don't want to lug a ginormous book. I like to bring my book. You know, when I go pick up the kids and it's like I don't want to lug around this big, giant book.
Speaker 2:So even like Quicksilver I read on my Kindle. Like most ACOTAR series I read on my Kindle. Throne of Glass series I read on my Kindle. And the Moonhatched I read on my Kindle Like pretty much if it's books and I'm not touching those, like those aren't reading, like those are, like they're sitting on my shelf, I still can't believe. So Like I bought fourth wing before. I just kind of saw it on Instagram and was like oh, that looks interesting and like oh, those dragons on the side are kind of pretty, and so like I bought it and then it was like the day after I bought it it like blew up and so like I have a first edition great edged copy of fourth wing, which if you look on eBay they're like $400.
Speaker 2:Like my husband always jokes. He's like we're going to sell that. I'm like no, we're not. So it's like I didn't even realize what a treasure I was able to get. But and then I think back and I'm like I read it. My husband read it, my book, bestie read it, like we. I'm like passing this book around and now I'm like I can't believe we all we're just reading this book.
Speaker 2:That's like you know worth hundreds of dollars but now I'm like no, like this is the one that we look at on the shelf because it's pretty. And so then I did buy it and it just arrived. Today, the non-sprayed edge, just plain hardback version arrived. I had ordered the sprayed edge version on Amazon and they had pushed it back to, I believe, tomorrow, and I was like yeah, no, that's no. And so Matthew picked up the other one at Target as well, just so I could have my hands on it, cause I also have heard horror stories of people like ordering it and then them getting like a plain one, and I'm like I don't want that to happen. Or ordering it and then it's saying it's coming and then it's canceled, and I was like I would feel better if you just got it so that I could have my hands on it. So I know that I have it. So, anyway, that's my long drawn out reason, like okay.
Speaker 1:Getting into Quicksilver, otherwise we'll be here all day One hour later.
Speaker 2:Now how long. Yeah, let's see's see um well, if you listen to kristen's podcast by now, you know we spend the first half talking about other stuff. Yep, that's, that's how we do it. This is what you signed up for. There are time stamps.
Speaker 1:There are chapters. They can literally just flip right to the conversation if they want to, so it's fine, yeah perfect. Yeah, just skip down it's literally like embedded in spotify, so you can just click and it'll take you right there. Yeah, I had no idea. Thank you to Buzzsprout for letting me do that for all. Okay, so, quicksilver, what is your overall rating, and did this book live up to the insane hype that is really starting to surround it?
Speaker 2:So this book was hyped so huge and I feel like a lot of times when a book is hyped huge, then it's hard for it to live up to said hype. And I felt like this book is not hyped enough. I was like what? Like I was so mad because I waited way longer than I should have to read this book and cause it was just fantastic. I gave it five stars. I loved it every single moment and I am going to listen to the audio book because I loved it that much. I gosh, it was just so good. It was just so good, Every single piece, and I can't wait for the next one. What did you?
Speaker 1:think. So I did not share your opinion, I did not love it, I didn't hate it, but I just liked it. Okay, I think I'm kind of in between a three and a half and a four, and I think I've pretty much settled on like a three and a half out of five. You're not alone.
Speaker 2:So you know Krista, from my Bookish Heart. She feels similarly to you. She gave it four, finally someone else.
Speaker 1:I feel like I have not heard Y'all should DM. Yeah, I'll have to ask her.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you'll have to ask her because she has. I mean, she has some good reasons, but and I understand them and I will say that, so most of my problems with it were for the first half of the book, and I will say that.
Speaker 1:So most of my problems with it were for the first half of the book and I feel like a lot of it was solved by the second half. So I'm going to continue the series and give the second book another chance, because I really think that the things that bugged me there was character growth, and a lot of it was resolved. So I feel like the second book will not bug me as much and I think I'm going to really enjoy it from the place that we ended at, because it did end on a cliffhanger, of course, because it's fantasy, but so I think that I'll like it. And also, I never tend to like the first book in a fantasy series. For some reason Like I really just don't I end up liking the second or the third book way better most of the time. So it could be that too. Which sidebar?
Speaker 2:of fourth wing. Fourth wing is my favorite book of all time, oh wow. And I have now read it three times and I feel like I love it even more every time and it, in my opinion, far surpasses iron flame and so far, far surpasses onyx storm, like it is just so good. So when you read them, I'm super curious to see what you think, just because I feel like I feel similar. I do feel like the first book is kind of you know, it's stepping into the world, we're getting to know everybody, like sometimes it takes a little while to get into it, but like I don't know what it is, but it is just epically, epically good and it just gets better every time I read it.
Speaker 1:I don't know, okay, okay. Well, that makes me even more excited to start it.
Speaker 2:I need to know, like, what bought? What was it that bothered you about?
Speaker 1:oh, I'm gonna get into it on Quicksilver yeah. I will. I will get into the details, um, but first, if you could describe the book in one word, what would it be?
Speaker 2:The first word that just popped into my head was epic.
Speaker 1:Mine was intense, so I think it matches. It was a page turner, like I really wanted to know what happened and I kept thinking where, where are they going with this? Yes, where is this going to?
Speaker 2:take us. It kept me up at night reading late Wow.
Speaker 1:It was one of those.
Speaker 2:Okay, good to know who were your favorite characters oh, my gosh carry on was my number one favorite. Yep, he was my favorite sidebar. We both read it with our eyes, so we don't know if we're saying the character's names correctly, so if you listen to audiobook, so so sorry, I tried calling my book bestie to check on the character names but she didn't answer so so you get what you get, but carry on, I love.
Speaker 2:He just cracked me up Like I was imagining Nathan. What's his name from Firefly? Oh, and he's also in Dr Horrible sing-along blog, nathan Fillion. Is that his name? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, he was carry on.
Speaker 1:Like I can see that, I can see that, I can see that. I was DMing with somebody on my masculine page, I think and I told her that and she was like, oh my gosh that's how I imagined him too, and then, whenever they flipped it and you found out that he was a Fae too, I was just like Whoa, I did not see that coming.
Speaker 2:That is the number one reason why I want to read it again, like now that I know that, or their signs. I need to like know. Yeah, but yeah, he definitely was my favorite. I also really love gosh. I can't remember anyone's name. I'm the worst the guy that she made the first sword for. Oh that made the.
Speaker 1:I cannot remember his name, l I think did his name start with an l?
Speaker 2:I wonder if I could like look up a list of like characters like I, seriously I read this in like november I think I know you read it forever, and then I was like I'm gonna read it, and then I would read something else. I'm gonna read it. I would read something. Oh my gosh, I looked up Quicksilver character name.
Speaker 1:Is it Lorith huh?
Speaker 2:Lorith, yes, but it's, it pulled up there's like a comic Quicksilver comic like superhero Quicksilver. Okay, let's add Callie hart yes lauren, he was my other favorite. I really liked him.
Speaker 1:I did like him. I think it was carry on. He was just my favorite. He just he was shining and I wanted to know more about him. I love their banter, like he really didn't shy away from anything. Yeah, and I'm kind of wondering now if he gave her so much crap about sleeping with him because he could this whole smell thing and being a fae. So now I kind of wonder if that's why he was extra on her case the entire time.
Speaker 2:Because of that, because I thought he was just like, just cocky, to be honest, for a long time there and I was like yep, yep, that's, that's just, that's him, because honestly, like I mean, I just like liked him well, but then when we found that out I was like also, I just loved his whole scene with his sword and like telling the sword jokes. And then like naming his sword simon, like that was just like who named? And then I was like of course he would name it simon, like he's ridiculous. And then to find out that he actually is Fae and would still name his sword Simon made it even more funny to me, like I know you have to respect him living in that kind of environment when, for all intents and purposes, it seems like he technically doesn't have to.
Speaker 1:So our favorite character is carrion. We've been saying it wrong. There's so many different things you could say like caraval, caraval, caraval, you know whatever like there's so many different little variations, yeah it's, it's whatever and it's fantasy. So you know who really knows? Does anyone actually know? Know, who knows? The voice actors just had to make a choice and go with it. So, who knows, they could literally be wrong.
Speaker 2:I know I've actually heard some stories of authors saying that, like the audiobook narrators like said the name wrong. Oh wow, uh, like Voldemort was apparently just supposed to be Voldemort. Oh wow, yeah, wow, which is weird to think about. Right, why'd you put a T? Then the T is silent, of course, don't you know?
Speaker 1:Clearly not. So getting back to I can go on and on about this what frustrated you? Was there anything that frustrated you? Paige whenever you were reading it.
Speaker 2:I don't know that anything in particular frustrated me. I was frustrated just in general that we didn't get answers to everything. But of course it's the first book in a series, so you don't want to give all the answers, because otherwise why would you keep reading and what are you going to write about in the next book? I think the thing that frustrated me the most honestly is that we never got an answer for what the bird was meant for above her heart, because we got answers for the hand tattoos, but we never did get a reason for why she had that tattoo. So I'm assuming that she'll give us more information about that, like I'm hoping, in the next book. And I was also just disappointed that we didn't get more time with them together at the end, like I wish they had had a little bit more time to unpack and like be happy that they were reunited. Like, basically, he just kissed her on the head and was like your coronation's in the morning, be it, and so like I was hoping for a little bit more of like a reunion between the two of them. Oh, oh, yes, because this happens at the very beginning.
Speaker 2:I remember being so frustrated I was like what are you thinking so she has this gauntlet that she's stolen. And then she's like why don't I just give it to my brother, idiot, who I know will try to get rid of it? Like what are you saying? Why did you do that? Like why? But then I guess I just kind of forgot that I was mad about it because then it ended up it it's it was the event that then caused everything else to happen, and so everything else wouldn't have happened unless that had happened. And so it's like well, I'm glad you gave it to your brother and you were stupid, but like still, if you knew that that's what he's gonna do, why would you give it to him in the first place?
Speaker 1:like yeah, I don't get, and she's generally very smart and very quick witted and she survived on the streets this long, so it is kind of like wait what which, like I get.
Speaker 2:She didn't want to bring it in with her because she knew that carrie in would know that she had it, and it's like I guess she didn't have anywhere else to put it, but just like, and I guess she couldn't have found a spot in like the welding shop because then he might have um her boss, I don't know maybe when you give it to him, tell him specifically at least, because she just gives it to him and she's like does she even say anything?
Speaker 2:I don't think she really says anything. No, does she say like don't look in the bag, or something? Yeah, if you hear that, what do you want to do?
Speaker 1:look, in the bag.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that is true. I mean, I don't know that was stupid, but I forgive it because, yeah, we had to have something happen. True that that is true. It sounds to me like you have quite the laundry list of things that you didn't like I do.
Speaker 1:But, like I said, I really think that most of them got resolved and the characters kind of grew past it. So yeah, and I'm going off of memory because I think I read this in like November, so I had to listen back to my voice notes because I made these voice notes where I am so mad I'm listening to my voice and it was hilarious to listen back to. But anyway, because I was like you know what I don't like you should just insert your voice notes here seriously.
Speaker 2:Just put them at the end if anyone wants to listen to them.
Speaker 1:Yep, you can hear me rant like I should have been. Oh man, okay. So problem number one um, this is probably going to be very polarizing and I think everyone might just kind of shut their brain off here. I kind of think that for most of the book I didn't like Fisher and he sucked and I was really not liking Fisher. Yeah, like, really not liking Fisher.
Speaker 2:Oh so Like really not liking Fisher. Oh, so me the first time. Okay, Look, I was like everyone is like King Fisher.
Speaker 1:I hate him.
Speaker 2:He's bad words that I shouldn't say out loud, like you know, it's just like he's horrible, like I don't like him at all. Do you know how refreshing it was to read a true enemies? Yeah, oh yeah. It was done so well because they truly hated each other, and so well that I hated him too, yes, and then by the end, I was like I think that takes talent to, like you know, truly make me not like him, true, and then to make me like him, like wow gold.
Speaker 1:So I think, like, ultimately, fisher reminds me of like a grown-up version of Prince Carden from the Cruel Prince. Yes, I've only read the first book. Yeah, of the Cruel Prince I haven't read the whole trilogy. And again, I did not like Carden the entire first book. You know, when he kicked dirt into Jude's food, I was like I do not like this guy. When Fisher just treated her like the dirt under his shoe and I think in most like enemies to lovers or even rivals to lovers, they have some kind of mutual respect and in both of those books I didn't see the respect. They acted like they were stupid idiots that were just the dirt under their shoe and I it was almost like borderline bully romance and I hated that. I hated that.
Speaker 2:So I think I held more of a grudge on Fisher than she did but like when we finally got to his reasoning as to why, I was like, oh my gosh, like everything is forgiven, like I understand, I don't know. And side note, when you read Once Upon a Broken Heart, I also there's a character in that book that was similar, that made me think of Prince Corden from the Cruel Prince books.
Speaker 1:Like. A specific part that also kind of annoyed me about him earlier in the book was whenever she got bitten by the fox the first time before it became her pet, and she's just like sitting there like gushing blood from her arm and he is just like, well, I guess you'll have to like, live with the consequences of your choices and like doesn't. I guess you'll have to like, live with the consequences of your choices and like doesn't, even kind of. But again, that is fitting for his personality. But you know, and I mean that makes sense because she has to want to punch him in the face. So you know you wouldn't want to punch someone in the face. That's like, oh, are you okay? But it was just like, wait, you're not even going to kind of help her over there.
Speaker 2:Not at all. I think it's that he knew that it really wasn't that big of a deal, because then, remember, when she really is injured and he's like running through true, I mean he's like somebody help, like it was totally like you know, touch her and die mentality, and so I think it was just like he knew he had to stick her with barbs to keep her away, yeah, and so he knew that she wasn't really all that badly injured and she would be fine, so he's not gonna freak out about it. But then, like, when she really truly was in grave peril, you know, he was like, yeah, which I love, I also love the touch of her, die like good to know.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I think a lot of my problems stemmed with Fisher and how he treated her. Also. I kind of felt like ultimately the whole fated mates thing at first was a little bit of a cop-out for them not to have a greater conversation, like whenever the first kind of spice scene hit, based on like the intensity of it, I felt like they didn't have the mutual trust with each other that they needed to be doing the things that they were doing and it just kind of felt like there wasn't really a conversation. There was like I don't know they just and it doesn't, I guess, even have to be a conversation, because I get the whole fact of like it just happened so quickly or whatever. But I just didn't understand really why she was so attracted to him and they didn't have any kind of conversation and then they did the things that they did and then it just kind of felt like for a while and she would even say stuff like I tried not to think about it or I tried not to think about it too much and I just enjoyed being with him and like spending time with him. So it was addressed. It's not like Kelly just glossed over it or anything, but I just felt like they needed to have a conversation earlier.
Speaker 1:And they did have more conversations as the book went along and he did change his overall tune and you found out the source and kind of why, but it it just I don't know. It just seemed like it went from one extreme to the other and I needed something, whether it's like them stopping and having a true conversation earlier or whatever but I just he was so hot and cold and I could not figure out why she was quite so attracted to him, even though he was. Basically, it felt like giving her breadcrumbs for a while. Until you know, he explained it. I don't know, it just rubbed me the wrong way. He rubbed me the wrong way and I just really struggled to switch over, even when he started acting like, you know, an actual book boyfriend should act. So a lot of my problems are literally with him, that's, a majority of my issue is him.
Speaker 2:I feel like in these fantasy books, when there's like fated mates and it's just sort of the formula right, like yeah, they're fated mates, but they're or one of them or both of them are resistant of it, I think that, like, what fated mates are is like their bodies and their souls are like meant to be together, whether or not their minds realize they need to be together. So I feel like in those instances it's sort of like their body and soul is like taking over them because like deep in their bones they know like they're magnets, like they just need to be together okay, even if their minds are resisting the connection. And so I don't know, I guess that's kind of how I feel about all of that and, like I don't know, I feel like eventually they talk about it later. They do, they do, they do, and so like I felt like their first time together made sense because, like they wouldn't reason each other together if they had a conversation, I guess because they would just find an excuse.
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I think I think it worked fine for me, but I feel like I just need to read it again.
Speaker 1:I'll let you know after I listen to it, but but exactly, and you read a lot of fantasy and romancy and I don't or like. I've been just getting into it and since I read Quicksilver in November, it was one of my first.
Speaker 2:It was only like my second book that had Faye in it and I hadn't really read a lot of Fated Mates, so I feel like it's a pretty common situation for them to be together before they realize that they're meant to be together, and oftentimes in a situation where, like, they don't fully necessarily think that they like the other person. So I feel like it's just kind of like a it fits the trope, yeah, of the situation. So I guess it just doesn't really bug me because it's kind of what's expected, I guess. I don't know true.
Speaker 1:Maybe I was just coming at it with like a contemporary romance brain and I'm like wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. This is all wrong. This is not how this is supposed to go, Fated.
Speaker 2:Mates is more than just I. Like you, fated Mates, is the universe made the two of you to be together forever and you're meant to be together and you will be together, or like you're gonna die without each other kind of thing, and it's like you know, they just don't have control over it, so like they just have to figure it out yeah, that's fair interesting take I can that's how I, that's what I think, but you know, that's just me no, I get it.
Speaker 1:I mean you and a lot of other people who, like gave it five stars, so it is not. It's not as if it's just you, like I'm in the minority over here.
Speaker 2:It's so funny because I was reading through like some of the reviews and sometimes I like to read like the bad reviews and like mock them and a lot of. I'm like bring me all the faded mates. Just like, bring me all the fake dating. Bring me a book with fake dating and faded mates. Who's written that? Someone write that and I will read it.
Speaker 1:I'll let you know. I'm sure it's out there. It has to be out there. It has to be out there. But yeah, fake dating and faded mates, give it to me, I'm here for it. There was one, like one star review of Quicksilver that said something like are y'all okay? And I couldn't stop laughing no, we're not okay. It's such a perfect thing.
Speaker 2:People post the like and you can scroll through like all the one stars or whatever.
Speaker 1:That's hilarious. Okay, so the last thing that I really had a problem with, that I can remember. I mean, I'm sure there are other little things, but I don't remember those. Like I said, my voice memos are just, you know, but I don't like that's. I just I'm telling you you have to put them, you have to. I'll have to put a little snippet of them. Yeah, I'll put a little snippet, because I sound so bad. It's bad, but anyway. So I felt like and again I may not feel like this after the second book, depending on where she takes it.
Speaker 1:I liked the portal thing. I thought that that was a cool idea that she opened the portal or somehow accidentally, and then Fisher came out and sent her kind of into a different portal stratosphere. So her ultimate goal is to get back to her brother thought that was really smart and really like easy to understand. Okay, this is goal number one get back to your brother. But it seemed like towards the end there were just a lot like there was so much going on that I kind of wish that maybe she would have cut out like one or two things. I think my main thing is why the whole like maze trials thing that Fisher had gone through for years and years and years with, like the big spider and stuff. I felt like that one kind of maze thing just felt like a little bit too much because you already had the feeders coming in and trying to push them back. So that whole thing made sense and I guess maybe the maze part was the only way that the current queen and the person who was the head of the feeders could all be like working together to have this huge maze with, like all the souls. I don't know. That just felt like maybe a little bit much compared to.
Speaker 1:You had the portal, which was so good, and you had her ultimate goal. You had the feeders and everything that they have, and you had the fact that the sister was now kind of, you know, fisher's sister gosh I can't even remember her name was bitten and was possible. They were trying to figure out a way around that. Like you have that conflict going on. So I feel like you have so many good things and then, of course, whenever, um, whenever saris went up to like the gods or whatever, and they were asking her what she thought and all that stuff, that was really good.
Speaker 1:So I just felt like you had all of these like really good motivations and it just kind of felt like adding the maze thing on top of it was just a lot and I don't know. It just kind of convoluted it a smidge to me because the other parts were strong enough and were entertaining enough that I felt like you kind of could have just first welcome to romancy. It's gonna be like, yeah, again, not not a huge romancy reader, so that makes sense. Why I don't? There's gonna be a million things.
Speaker 2:Okay. But also, though, I liked the maze, like because how else would you do the coin? Because that was a huge piece, true, was the coin. And him like finding the coin. So like how would you have had them find the coin, otherwise I would have to think on that, but I'm sure I could find a way.
Speaker 1:But yeah, that's fair like I feel like it did.
Speaker 2:I thought it was a good representation of the power of malcolm. Was that his name, malcolm Evil guy? And I think it showed the fact that he did get injured or die whenever the walls stopped moving. It kind of showed that and it also helped us understand the true horror that Kingfisher endured For that, like hundred years or whatever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, to see where he was and then have to experience some of the trials that he had to do, like. I feel like that was really powerful and understanding his motivations and like his character. So I don't know, I disagree. I feel like the maze was definitely a powerful and important piece of the story that's a good point, but I understand being a lot of stuff, but that's just kind of the nature.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's nature of the story. That's a good point, but I understand being a lot of stuff, but that's just kind of the nature. I mean that's nature of the beast, like that's what a romantic is gonna do.
Speaker 1:It's always gonna be crazy, crazy, crazy at the end okay, that makes sense, things to know going forward because, yeah, good things going forward. Because, like I said, I'm mainly reading like thrillers or contemporary romance or ya fantasy, which is way watered down. So after coming off of a lot of YA fantasy I was like what is this book, like what is going on?
Speaker 2:So that also may not have helped with where, like I was mentally I struggle with YA fantasy because I'm like none of that was happening, Like this is so boring, Like there needs to be more.
Speaker 1:I love YA fantasy, so that makes more sense what we're both looking for. Um random aside, but have you read the plate of prisoner series or started it?
Speaker 2:so I read the first one and I loved it. Yep, I read the first like I don 20% of the second one and I was like I hate this so much, like I hate it. And so I stopped and I own all three because I was like this is so great, I'm going to buy them all. The main character says and does certain things that negate lots of things that she did before and her character just doesn't make sense. Like the choices that she made at the beginning don't add up to the things that we know at the end. Like the choices that she made at the beginning don't add up to the things that we know at the end, and it just made me really mad. I don't know that I ever will finish reading them.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I do think it gets a little bit better. So if you ever pick it up, if you ever decide to pick it up, but again, once you get a bad taste in your mouth on a specific series, sometimes it's hard to ever go back to it, you're just like I don't know and at this point, like so much time has passed, I'm like I'm not sure I could even keep up with it.
Speaker 2:I probably have to like reread true, so I don't know, I probably should try to just sell them, or something.
Speaker 1:I'm on book three, or no? Yeah, I just got to book three, so I haven't started it yet. It's on my list now. I'm in the middle of too many series.
Speaker 2:This is getting frustrating series are so great, but they're also the work.
Speaker 1:It's like they take up so much time I know, oh my gosh, it's kind of like. The other day, um, I did a buddy read with a couple friends. We read war hour and it's it's why a fantasy, and, oh man, we thought it was like a duology or a trilogy. It is going to be a five book series and we were like, oh no, now we just signed up for five books because we're not going to be able to not know what happened after. We're already invested. So we'll see. Book two is about to come out. But, yeah, there's, there are literally only two books. It's going to be a five book series and we're like, okay, so now for like the next five years, we're just going to be stuck in this series all right.
Speaker 2:What other questions do you have?
Speaker 1:um, did any of the magical elements feel especially unique or exciting to you, especially because you've read a lot of fantasy or fantasy?
Speaker 2:I loved the sword making. That was cool. It was so cool, especially her and then she made the sword. Yes, like the scene where she makes lorith's sword and then he like talks to the sword and then it, you know, like shines in this I was like, yes, like the most epic thing ever. Like just the whole thing with like the swords being imbued with special powers and then for specific people, and like just the fact that she was able to like forge them, like I thought that that was really super cool. And I don't know, my husband would probably laugh, because he he reads a lot of high fantasy. I'm sure he'd be like that's in like every book.
Speaker 1:I've ever read. I love your impression of his book.
Speaker 2:Like. This is the first book in a romantic that I've read that has weapons that are so personified, I guess, and so I don't know. I just thought that was really, really cool yeah.
Speaker 1:I liked that. I've never read a fantasy or romancy book with the tattoos like that was really unique.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, I did like that because, of course, lots of books have tattoos. Lots of books have tattoos that appear and they grow on their bodies from nowhere. That's a common thing to happen, but from them to move from one body to the other was super cool, and then for what they were for was and the lore behind all of that and them trying to figure it out with like the books in the library.
Speaker 1:That was cool loved that that was cool and it wasn't just like, oh, we just know what the tattoos mean, like they did have to go to the library and figure it out, and I like that when stuff doesn't you know just appear to them like, oh, we looked in the first place and it was just there and I love that their tattoos on her hands appeared when they were having a vulnerable emotional moment, like I thought that that was really, really powerful, that that's when they made their appearance, I agree.
Speaker 1:I feel like I know what you're going to pick for this one, but were there any moments where you found yourself yelling at the characters for their choices?
Speaker 2:Well, the gauntlet. Gauntlet, obviously, that one. Yes, I was kind of mad at King king fisher whenever he just like abandoned everybody to save what's her face? Uh, ever lynn, or ever something, what's her?
Speaker 1:I'm going back to she's not even on my list, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know I'm talking about, yeah, the one she like first meets ever, that gets captured by the vampires. Yeah, I was kind of mad that he did that, but it's like of course you're gonna do that, like it wasn't surprising. And then, oh, I hated dana date. What was her name.
Speaker 1:Oh yes, um, I can't remember her name either, but I know exactly who you're talking about.
Speaker 2:She just needs to be deleted from the book I basically was just mad at her non-stop like I never. Every time we saw her face I just wanted to punch it like she's just the worst ever. I hated her so clue fans anybody. I hated her so much.
Speaker 1:I am on the side of my chest, breathless, heaving breath. That's how I felt, I know I felt like I was waiting for her redemption arc. I thought maybe she's going to get a clue for a second and that, nope, no.
Speaker 2:I am ready for her to like I don't know if, like book two, she's going to end up being like truly bad, or if she'll get a redemption arc in book two. I could see her, her like going to the bad side. Honestly, that would make the most sense. I just don't like her. And when her hand, when her hand like did it blow off? Like didn't it like explode off?
Speaker 1:and she tried, I was like yeah, yep that's what you get, I know, and it's just weird the way that she diminished. Saris frustrated me because it's like she's one of the only, not the only one of the few females that is remotely related to this army in here and you're not even going to give her a chance and you're going to completely shoot her down because of what? Just the fact that she's human, like, is that literally it? And I kind of wonder if, like at some point and it may not be true, but I kind of almost wonder if at some point maybe she liked Fisher, so she feels threatened. I don't know. I think also she's just really like, not, she can't see through her rage.
Speaker 1:So it might be more on that than ever having anything for fisher, but it just was so weird how she instantly didn't like her, never gave her a chance, when it's like wait a minute, don't you want someone like that on your side and you see how powerful she is, don't you really want someone like that on your side, right? I don't know, I don't. It was weird, but you know, who knows what'll happen. Clearly, there's probably something that's gonna happen and Callie's like haha, just wait till book two, so we'll, we'll figure it out eventually. So did you feel like the pacing overall was consistent, or were there any moments that felt like dragged or rushed?
Speaker 2:I feel like the beginning of the book dragged for me just because I feel like it took forever for us to meet king fisher, like. But looking at it in retrospect, I think it was nice to see her at home and to see that world and then to, at the time, think that this guy, who is completely not important at all, is actually, like, extremely important to the story, was there from the very beginning, which is another reason why I want to reread again. So I just felt like, you know, oh, my goodness, like we're taking so long to get to like the good stuff. But I didn't really realize we kind of already were in some of the good stuff, I guess.
Speaker 1:But yeah, that was really the only time and we got to interact with carrie, in which who knew how big of a deal he was going to be later on?
Speaker 2:because that person was like, okay, is the one that he pulled out of it, when he was the one that he pulled out. I laughed out loud.
Speaker 1:I was like, oh my gosh, like this is yeah, it can't be that easy. It can't be her brother, of course. And then, whenever fisher realized why he was the one that he pulled out, I think that was also kind of funny.
Speaker 1:Oh man, excited to read this again. Um, I will say that, like for a portion, when they were in the whole like fey realm kind of thing, when she was just learning the hang of it and she was in school and fisher was being a jerk to her and all that like that was maybe a smidge slow, but again, they kind of had to build a rapport between all of those characters and she had to get frustrated and her frustration had to build and then she had to go to the welding like studio shop, whatever you want to call it, and then have it completely, you know, build to the point to where, yeah, she's, you know, about to explode. So I mean, I get that, but it was just a little bit slow. Like you said, looking back in retrospect it's easy to see how. Okay, I get why you did that. But while I was reading I was like, okay, we were slow, we picked up, and now we're a little bit slow again, but it picked up towards the end a lot.
Speaker 1:So uh, yeah, that was insane so we were just getting a little break before it. It just went crazy.
Speaker 2:The calm before the storm exactly come before the storm okay.
Speaker 1:So were there any plot twists that genuinely surprised you? There were a lot.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, like the zombie things yes, the feeders that like jumped through the window. I was like, oh my goodness, I was not shocked by the fact that they were mates, like I feel like you could see that coming to my yeah book what was carrie and being a fae?
Speaker 1:that was shocking. That shocked, that was surprising. I yelled what out loud I did not see that coming at all I was so shocked.
Speaker 2:I was shocked when he was pulled through the portal. Oh yeah, that's true. Oh, I was shocked when he was pulled through the portal oh yeah, that's true. Oh, I was shocked when the sword was like imbued with power, like I wouldn't say it was like a shocking moment, but I was just like surprised by that whole unfolding of events, like I was not expecting that to be what happened, you know. So that was really exciting, that's true, yeah, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1:Oh, I think actually I was really exciting. That's true, yeah, yeah, I agree. Oh, I think actually I was. No, no, I wasn't, nevermind. I did predict it Fisher's sister being bitten.
Speaker 2:So when we first saw her across the water. At first I was afraid that she had turned bad on purpose and had like betrayed them, but then I realized that she had been kidnapped and I was like, oh, okay.
Speaker 1:It was like the way that he was talking or something that made me think, oh, I haven't seen the sister in a while. I bet they have the sister and then so it was like one of those five seconds before I guessed it.
Speaker 1:So I don't even know if that really counts, you know, because it's not like I predicted that from the beginning or you couldn't have predicted that from the beginning, but you know what I mean, it wasn't that far in advance, but I did see that one coming, but barely, just barely, only because of her context clues. Okay, so it's going to have a Netflix adaptation. Is there a scene that you most want to see on screen, but you hope that they add in there?
Speaker 2:first of all and this is a very unpopular like thing to say, I'm sure but I am not happy that it's being made into Netflix adaptation for a few reasons. Number one Netflix, are you serious? Like if it was HBO, maybe I would be like halfway excited. Number two the series is not done like finish the books, then make the show, like because I don't want, because a lot of times, like, the writings of the show can influence the way the book was gonna go, or, like you know, I like to imagine it in my own head and now I'm gonna see these people, even if I choose not to watch the show, I'm still gonna see, I'm sure, like previews and clips and things, and it's like that's gonna put that image of that person in my head as that character now, and it's's like I want to imagine it my way. So I don't know, I'm not super pumped about the fact that they're making a show, but the things that they absolutely have to include, no matter what or I will be so upset is the kiss against the bookshelf, their first kiss, because that was wow.
Speaker 2:Also the whole tattoo, like situation um, of course, the sword, yeah, stuff, yeah, has to be. And then also my favorite scene in the whole book book was when everybody in his pack cut their hand and put it on her chest, called her their sister or whatever. Yeah, that was so powerful to me. And then he did it and said her name for the first time. Like that scene was just so I got goosebumps, like it was just so amazing. And then, of course, his whole explanation of why he truly calls her Osha was just that has to be in there somehow. But yeah, I feel like for me those are like the big, important things that I would just be so sad if they cut any of that stuff. But I honestly don't know that I would watch it Like, yeah, I would probably want to finish reading all the books first and then go back and see it, I guess.
Speaker 1:I just hope that they don't diminish like Carrion's character and the portal thing in the beginning. That's kind of more my thing. It's like if they, you know know, were trying to cut for time or diminish his character and make him not as big of a player. Is it going to be a movie or a tv show? Let me see, because now I can't remember.
Speaker 2:I looked it up before because I feel like if it's a movie, they're gonna have to cut out a lot of stuff because it's really yeah and there's no way you could fit everything that's in a movie?
Speaker 1:do they even know yet? Or do they just movie, movie, movie. That's what I was thinking. This was going to be a series for some reason. Oh man, okay, never mind, I don't know what this is going to be like. Then you know, and after um, a good girl's guide to murder was bad. Uh, one of us was lying was bad, and I can't even think of other adaptations that have just been. So they're both, don't oh you should watch.
Speaker 2:I never read the book so maybe it's not good, but you should watch. It starts off blue lights, red lights, you're gonna something, something tonight. You know what this song I'm talking about?
Speaker 1:no, it feels this good, oh, it must be. Oh, I know what song you're talking about, but I don't know.
Speaker 2:But that's like what it started off as every it's. It's a ellen hinderbrand book and I, oh idol, let me just, isn't?
Speaker 1:that her name. Yes, I've not read any of her books, so yeah, but I do know All right, you keep talking about stuff and I'll try to find it Okay.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I don't know. The adaptations just make me nervous and even like Catherine Sinner's adaptations, I feel like happiness for beginners was probably her better one, but the Last Husband was not fantastic, even though they had the star power in both. So I don't know. I just feel like adapt, adapt, oh my gosh, I can't even say it. It just makes me nervous. Adaptations, thank you. It makes me nervous. It makes me so nervous. I don't, I don't know, and I'm sure that, again, it's hard to take something that's so beloved as a screenwriter, but what is it?
Speaker 2:a perfect couple. Oh yeah, yeah, I have not watched that. It's like a mini series on Netflix and it was super good okay good to know, really, really, really good yeah they did.
Speaker 2:So I have not read the book. So maybe if people have read the book, they're like it was terrible. But I think that's the thing is. Like it's so hard because you have to remember like it was inspired by the book or based on the book, and it's like obviously you're not going to be able to put everything. You just can't capture the magic of it. Like there's nothing like reading it and everyone is going to have a different experience based on your own personal experiences and the way that you're going to imagine things and the things that are important to you or stand out to you. And so I don't know.
Speaker 2:I think that when they do things like this for me, I feel like it's important to put space if I want to enjoy. So I can't very well read the book and then, like the next day, watch the movie because I'll just be mad that it's not the same. Yeah, but like, if I have a lot of time, like let's say, every, you know, maybe I finish all these quick silver books and then, like you know, in a year I'm like, yeah, I'll watch the Netflix show, because by then all I will remember are like the vibes, and then the vibes are the same, then I'll be happy. So I don't know.
Speaker 1:And I mean, what a screenwriter has to think about I want an author has to think about are just two totally different things. So that may also just be kind of why it really is never going to match up. Having to tell it visually versus, you know, being able to anything goes in a book, yeah, it's just so. Yeah, so, completely different. But I kind of wonder what, like some of these, like these, like what is the budget going to be?
Speaker 2:It has to be a huge budget to bring something like Quicksilver to like. That's going to be insane Because they're going to need to do a lot of like CGI with like things and like the sword lighting up the sky and like you know, the maze and the spider Like. So either it's going to be so bad because, like you didn't spend it on, you know you're going to spend millions and millions and so it better be good. I don't know.
Speaker 1:And the feeders are going to give me nightmares. I just know it. Those things were terrifying.
Speaker 2:They were terrifying, you really have you seen Stranger Things? I know, I know If anyone's seen Stranger, stranger things, I imagined a little bit the like stranger thing, monsters, a little bit maybe they can borrow some of their stuff. I don't think that they were quite that frightening, but like a little piece of me because I think they were select people.
Speaker 1:But when they got really messed up I was imagining more like the stranger thing monsters just any zombie because I know they're supposed to be like vampires like a zombie vampire hybrid kind of thing yeah, the leader people as like vampires and then yeah like theater people as like zombies yeah, I was picturing like a zombie with fangs, basically I didn't even imagine them having well, I guess they were supposed to have, like sharper teeth like a yeah, like I imagine, like a person, but zombified with fangs. Yes, okay, that that's pretty much. It. Is there anything else that you would like to say about?
Speaker 2:Quicksilver. So I felt like this book had themes from like so many other books and just different shows and things like that, and so, um, I had like a list in my head of like different books that, like it, made me think of but now I, oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:No, I didn't ask that the cruel prince was mine. That was my main one, is? It just reminded me a lot of the cruel prince, but I had just read that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I felt like it had. I felt like it had me like zombie stuff.
Speaker 1:But then I felt like it had um, some like like the twilight girls are gonna eat oh yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right yeah, my gosh, when he bit her, like oh, I was gonna say I thought that was weird, I thought that I was like why?
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh my gosh, like when there's biting, I'm like that is anyway it's because the twilight, I think it was like ingrained anyway, um. And then I felt some beauty and the beast vibes with all oh yeah photos like scratched up, then stuff like that, yep, um. And then lord of the rings vibes with like all the weaponry, um, and the swords, like power and things like that, because there's a lot of that kind of stuff in lord of the rings. And then I felt like of course there's like the basic romanticist, like enemies to lover lovers vibes. I got a lot of vibes from, like um, the akatar series, especially with the tattoos, because there's a lot of symbolism with tattoos in the ACOTAR series. They don't float from each other's bodies but there are a lot of tattoos in the ACOTAR books.
Speaker 2:But anyway, I just really loved how I felt like it was a neat story that had elements from other, elements from other books that I've read but that were brought together in such a unique and different way, and so I felt like it was easy to get into because it made it easy for me to imagine, because I've read other you know and seen these other things, so it kind of like brought the imagery to my mind easily and quickly, but yet it was put together in a way that was super unique. Even though it's kind of a complicated world and there's a lot of different things, it was easy and quick to get immersed into the story because it kind of draws from a lot of other stuff, I guess, if that makes sense at all.
Speaker 1:Yep, no, that does.
Speaker 2:That does. That's just kind of my last thoughts, but yeah, I just loved it and I'm super, super excited for the next one and I can't believe that she is like half vampire, half Faye and I need to know, like, how is that going to work? Oh, I have a question for you Do you think that they can talk into each other's minds because they're mates, or do you think that he can just talk into people's minds and because he's him.
Speaker 1:I kind of thought it was actually because of the quicksilver. Like he's infected by the quicksilver and she can manipulate the quicksilver, so the quicksilver is their link of why they can talk to each other. That's my guess actually yeah.
Speaker 2:So do you feel like, if they're able to get the Quicksilver out of him, that they would lose that connection?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a good point, but now, at this point, but now she's Fae. Yeah, I was going to say now she's Fae, and I think the Fated Mates thing might play into it as well. So I kind of feel like their powers at that point will be so strong that without the quicksilver it could kind of work.
Speaker 2:But yeah, my initial thing was just that the quicksilver is like a metal element and a metal magic element and like she clearly already had the like alchemol powers, like, do you think that she'll have other powers as a fey?
Speaker 1:oh yeah, oh yeah, I mean well, and as a vampire, like does she gain anything from being a vampire? Or like, why is she one? What is that gonna do for her?
Speaker 2:I guess that should fall into something that, like frustrated me. I don't know that frustrated me so much as confused me. Like I thought that all the vampires were bad, but then the vampire was actually that one vampire that was his like, second like was actually good, and so then I didn't understand all that. So I'm hoping the second time through because you're right, at the end there's so much that is happening so I'm like did I miss something? Like it's just a lot of information to process, so I'm hoping, like when I listen to it, maybe I can pick up on, understand better the whole vampire yeah, I didn't get that.
Speaker 1:I was very confused, yeah, and then it was even more confusing whenever she was bitten and I'm like wait, so what does this actually mean for her?
Speaker 2:I have no idea like I feel like we were led to believe that if they were chosen to be a vampire then they would be immediately bad. And yet he was good. And like I don't, I don't get it, because then you're like.
Speaker 1:So why are they so worried about the sister? You know, if they can say, if she can be fine, then why does it seem like she's destined to a fate different than them?
Speaker 1:yes, exactly so I'm hoping that I just missed something, and if I didn't miss something, then this better, very well, better be explained, yeah, in book two, and she's probably leading us this way for a purpose and then we'll go oh, okay, but yeah, it's kind of funny that, um, basically, now that she's a Fae vampire and he's a Fae, they're still not the same species. Like they could. They were almost the same species and now they're still not.
Speaker 2:they're still not really I was talking to somebody I don't know if it was in my dms or what, but they were saying that they thought that since she was fey, now maybe she could like turn herself all the way fey and like get rid of the vampire part. I was like I don't know how she would do that. But okay, I don't know. I feel like she needs to stay half day, half vampire, unless the fates are going to intervene, which they don't want to happen, because, like she needs to be the thing that's different, right? So I think that she would choose to stay half and half. If she had them, I don't feel like she would have the ability to be different, but I don't know.
Speaker 1:Now she's probably going to live substantially longer, I would assume, because that's the whole point and that's what they talked about a lot in the book is how short her lifespan was. I mean, that's the whole point of the nickname.
Speaker 2:Kind of Well, that's also very common Oop is like the human turning Faye. Okay of, well, that's also very common is like the human turning fey. Okay, and that was another complaint the human turns into a fan. Like then stop reading these books if you know what you signed up for.
Speaker 1:Like it's like tropes and romance. Like if you don't like the tropes, then why like, if you don't like any tropes, then don't take a break. Take a break from romance and come back.
Speaker 2:Yeah it's human to fay. They didn't, they didn't. You know, mates, um what else?
Speaker 1:enemies to lovers touch her and die uh treat her like garbage for a second, until you don't no, I'm kidding.
Speaker 2:I would argue that this book is. He loved her the whole time. I mean, I see where you're getting that, but Because he knew who she was and he loved her so much that he knew that to be with him would like destroy her life, and he didn't want that for her, and so I would. He was purposely making himself a jerk yeah. Just in a jerky way.
Speaker 1:No, I could see where you're getting that. I just I really don't like. So. I mean, I like him way better now, but I still am kind of like I'm just a little bit miffed for her.
Speaker 2:Like I said, I'm more upset than she is, so I don't know it's fun yeah, it's fun to not like somebody, but then like them exactly, and you know what?
Speaker 1:she's fine with it. It's not like she came into it with like I love him so much and I just want him to love me. That was not at all how she acted. So I did appreciate that she wasn't like naive about it. Like I feel like sometimes in fantasy they're kind of naive and I'm like, okay, you're doing all this great stuff. There's no way that you can actually think that way. So at least she did not at all even kind of.
Speaker 2:I watched. I watched this really funny video the other day on Instagram and it was this girl and she was like talking about three things that we need to have in books, and one of them was an FMC that is not 18 to 25 years old. Like you need to get us above 25 because she's like I know y'all are picking this age because they're stupid and they're gonna make stupid decisions and you can like use it as an excuse for them making these stupid decisions.
Speaker 1:like that's a good point that's funny.
Speaker 2:I was like, yes, please, but I actually loved her character. Like I felt a lot of times characters like hers annoy me because I feel like they're being stubborn and hardheaded and they don't and they won't listen to anybody and they're whiny and they complain. And I felt like she was just strong and true to who she was and like she wasn't going to take any of his you know junk. Like she wasn't going to take any of his you know junk. And so I liked that she like stood up for herself and stuck to her guns, you know. I felt like she was just really strong and like she just never really got on my nerves, which was kind of refreshing, cause like even in the Iron Flame, violet drives me up the wall oh my gosh, she's so annoying. So like I just think that her character was just written really well because I feel like she just made it very evident her reasoning in like a non whiny way. Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sarah says like prickly, but for a reason. She's not just like. She didn't just pop into the book prickly for no apparent reason, like there. There's a reason behind everything that she thinks and does and she just doesn't let anyone get the better of her. Yeah, she, I did not get annoyed with her at all. Like I said, it was mainly just for a while. So, yeah, it was just fisher but did you know about the king fisherisher bird.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, the Kingfisher is a bird, I heard a little bit about this, but I had no idea.
Speaker 2:And it's really interesting because there's a lot of interesting things about the Kingfisher, because I thought that was such a weird name.
Speaker 1:I was like, wow, why? And they were just shortening it to Fisher. But that makes sense, that he was inspired by that. That makes a lot more sense. Oh, I was gonna say that I wonder, like I kind of wonder now if, um, if saris looks any different, because you know, the whole point was that, like, fey are supposed to be beautiful, it said it didn't, it had pointed ears yeah, but like other than just the teeth and the ears.
Speaker 1:Is there attributes to her face that changed? Did anything like smooth out or whatever to make it more? I don't know, to make her more like classic fey? Because didn't they reference how human she was? Like a lot or I may be thinking of a different book, but I mean they don't. They tend to do that in a lot of romanticies, like if they're human, they're constantly talking about how they're human and not okay here's some different things so the kingfisher is said to carry away the spirits of the dead.
Speaker 2:A human thief was turned into a kingfisher as punishment. The kingfisher symbolizes peace and prosperity. The kingfisher can symbolize fertility. The kingfisher symbolizes peace and prosperity. The Kingfisher can symbolize fertility. The Kingfisher represents new warmth, abundance, love and prosperity. The Kingfisher is seen as a spirit guide that can help improve intuition. The Kingfisher is named after Alcyon, one of two lovers who were resurrected as Kingfisher birds. That is very much telling, and they both have the birds.
Speaker 1:I was going to say but did they say what kind of bird the tattoo was? So is it a Kingfisher bird? I don't know.
Speaker 2:Anyway, I think I want to say hers said that it looks kind of like a hummingbird. I want to say and it does.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah, it does Okay. So maybe that's where they're tying it in, like I could see the one over her heart being a kingfisher bird.
Speaker 2:But I still want to know like it's like, okay, sure, that's like him, but like why? You know why is that there? So anyway, I just think that's really neat. Yeah, I love it. Authors put thought into the names that they choose for things and stuff like that, especially, like, you know, osha, and all that is just so cool.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I agree. Well, those are our thoughts on Quicksilver, and who knows which book we'll talk about next. We don't even know, we we haven't picked it yet. That's it for today. Thanks for listening to, where I Left Off a bookish podcast.
Speaker 1:It's just, he's so patronizing, he's so rude, yet just I want to punch him in the face, just like she did. It is just so over the top and I don't know how Kelly Hart is going to get me to change my mind. And like this dude, he's the worst. I mean, I really don't think he has a soft spot for anyone, much less her. It's just annoying. I don't know, I do not like Fisher right now. Like I thought that he was gonna be great, but he's kind of making like Kai Azur and um, aaron Warner look like little kittens, and maybe this is why I should just stick to YA fantasy. We'll see if this gets any better, but I'm a little bit on the fence right now. I thought I liked it, but now I don't know.
Speaker 1:Here's part two of my random thoughts of Quicksilver. So reasons I don't like Fisher right now A he let the fox just bite her and I know he said like well, you just have to live with your own consequences or whatever. But like at any point when the fox still had his teeth clamped down on her, you seriously weren't gonna help her out. Like why, why, and then didn't do anything. When she's just literally bleeding all over the place, like, okay, that makes sense, no, that does not make sense. Oh yeah, I mean starting with the quicksilver when it could have killed her.
Speaker 1:That sucked, um, and just like the crude way that he talks. It would be fine if he had any decorum, but like he doesn't. He just really doesn't. Um, I don't know, it's just something like it's just the patronizing and the treating her like she's a stupid idiot. I think that's the deal. Like it's just, yeah, the idiot thing. That's what irks me. And it's okay if at first he's like, okay, you're slow, you're not getting it quick enough, but he really hasn't stopped. It's like all of it put together. Like it was kind of cute whenever she punched him in the face and he said something like bad human, like that at least was semi-cute. But everything else, like just constantly mocking her, I don't know, it's getting old, it's getting really old.