But Are There Dragons Podcast
Two fantasy lovers quite ready for another adventure…and by adventure, we mean podcast! Join us as we–a LOTR vet and LOTR first-timer–take on the works of Tolkien! Welcome to But Are There Dragons, a podcast where two friends pick a book at least one of them has not read and work their way through it a few chapters at a time.
But Are There Dragons Podcast
Season 5 Episode 8: Onyx Storm Chapters 31-end
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Music credit to: Frog's Theme by Nobuo Uematsu, Noriko Matsueda, Yasunori Mitsuda
ReMix: Chrono Trigger "Theme of Frog's" - OC ReMix
Hi, and welcome to But Are There Dragons, a podcast where two friends pick a book at least one of them has not read and talk about it.
SPEAKER_02:I'm your host, Critter.
SPEAKER_00:And I'm your host, Jess. And we are here to talk about the second half of Onyx Storm. How's it going, Critter? Welcome back.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, it's pretty good. It's pretty good. I guess we can consider this our holiday episode, dropping Christmas week right before the new year. I've got a bit of a nerdy Christmas sweater on. Um, so yeah, we're uh we're in business. I'm feeling good. This is my favorite time of year. So when I say I'm like flying high, I'm not lying. How are you doing?
SPEAKER_00:I'm doing well. I am also feeling very festive. Um my son's coming to visit for the holiday. He hasn't been to our new place yet. So all of the things, right? Like the busy, the tired, but also very festive and happy.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, tired, I can totally feel. Uh the baby dragon is teething. His molars are coming in, and it's just a real, real problem when it comes to sleep. So we're doing our best and uh making our way through it. But again, it's not diminishing the holiday spirit in my mind. I I I love the decorating my houses, you know. I've got a tree in the basement and a tree upstairs, and the only reason I don't have a tree behind me is because I haven't even like put my art up in my new house, and that three trees felt excessive. Like at that point, I could start putting real art up, like whatever. Next year, though, all three trees will be up.
SPEAKER_00:Game on.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, game on, hopefully. Um, hopefully. So uh uh thank you if you're listening. Thank you if you're watching on YouTube. Uh, if you're tuning in, let us know if you're a holiday girly like us, or if you celebrate any holidays around this time of year, even if they aren't Christmas, any holiday is welcome. Um, and uh get hyped for this final chat about Onyx Storm and our final chat in season five until, of course, the next book comes out, whenever that may be.
SPEAKER_00:But more on that later.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, more on that later. Okay, so first impressions or thoughts about Onyx Storm, the finale, Jessica.
SPEAKER_00:Um again, each book I've liked a little bit more. Um, so I did like this book more than the first two. I thought it was a great cliffhanger ending. Okay. It was great end. Um yeah, I struggled a little bit with, and I think I talked to the spoke to this last episode of so much of Violet's energy is bent on saving Zaden. Um so I do like it when we kind of branch out from that story. Uh, and so we definitely ended on that note. Like, but we'll get into that, I'm guessing.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Uh okay. So are you ready for me to have the complete opposite take?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, go for it.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, I'm gonna put on my hater hat for a minute. And then if you know me at all, if you followed any of my content, you have to know that I do not enjoy like poo-pooing on things. And I'm not gonna poo-poo on it. Like, I think I gave it like a three and a half stars on my fable account, and I would have on Goodreads if Goodreads did half stars. Um, so I think it was the worst one so far. Uh and let me give you my thesis. Uh, it's largely because it felt like nothing of consequence actually happened. And I know that's like a stretch because they found the Erids, which was like the big mission. Um, they fired the wards, which was like the big mission, right? But like the wards were working whenever the book started, even though they were faltering, and uh, and they're working at the end. And Zaydan was uh, oh my gosh, I'm drawing a blank. Zaden was a zombie thing. Venom. A venom. Zaiden was a venom when the book started, and by God, he's still a venom, but it's a he's like a worse venom now, I guess. So like it hasn't been resolved, it's actually gotten a little bit worse. Um, so I just feel like it was it was a placeholder. Honestly, there are some fantasy series where it's like it's originally supposed to be a trilogy, which I feel like I read about this somewhere, and I could be wrong. I heard that too. Okay, I heard that too. So that tracks because this feels like it was very successful book one, continued being extremely successful book two, and they thought, you know what? Let's make it five books here. Let's make some money off of this, right? And so they added some filler. That's what this, that's what this feels like to me. Um, I had some moments that I really enjoyed. Trust me, like the the like we'll get into it more, but like the climax was pretty satisfying, stuff like that. But overall, the series of side quests that were like, we need to go talk to this noble to give us the rights to search in this region, check. We need to go talk to this noble because we're gonna stay in his house. Check. It just felt very much like mini side quests that just kind of fell not super, they weren't that powerful. There were some powerful moments in them, but it it got it got tiresome after a while. So this one, this one for the first time, I did not do my second read through. I took notes the first time I read it um for the second half, and I relied on those notes. I'm relying on those notes. I didn't reread it. So it just wasn't, you know, there were other books I wanted to read, and I didn't really want to read this one again. So um that's really interesting to me that we have opposite takes. So was it the story that you think elevated it, or were you?
SPEAKER_00:So I liked this fact. No. Um, so I and I wanna, I I don't want to sound like I'm walking it back. I did say that they each got better, not that they were necessarily my favorite book. So I'm still kind of meh about the series as a whole. Um, so you know, she's got me, and I'm I'm interested, I'm invested, I want to know how it all turns out. Um, but I wouldn't say that she has me like whelmed or overwhelmed. The thing that I liked about this book that kind of made up for the things that you were talking about, because I also had middle child syndrome. I think that's that's what I call it. I call it middle child syndrome.
SPEAKER_02:Um sure, as a middle child, I resent it, but okay.
SPEAKER_00:Super judgy coming from an only child household. So sorry about it. Um it it made up in other ways because it did the things that I wanted to get out of this book, which is it brought us to new places. The side quest analogy is perfect because that is exactly what it is. But I wanted to Carmen San Diego my way through more of this land, so it scratched that itch for me. Um, and even though it could like I feel that your case is strong, that it feels a little contrived in that way, and I get that. Um I still feel like the action that was created at each of those side quest locations was well enough written or interesting enough to keep me in it. So there's that going for it. Because I also felt the side quest energy big time.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so let's talk about those side quests then. Um the first one I have notes about, and I don't know if like because we've split the book in half. So the first one I have notes about is the um the Aaron Mint double triple cross. Um, yes, the yeah, the poisoning, uh the great poisoning, where it was like Riddick got poisoned, right?
SPEAKER_00:No, Garrick.
SPEAKER_02:Garrick, sorry, Garrick got poisoned. I mean, I'm I'm confusing it because later almost dies. Like later Riddick almost dies, which is another thing that I was like, you better stop that. Like you keep trying to take Riddick from us, and I'm about to lose my mind. But, anyways, no, so the Aaron Mint one was Garrick almost dies, and it's panic mode. Like, I was on the edge of my seat. Like, is she really gonna kill this guy or not? Um, and then the double triple cross was fun, it was a fun little like it was giving, like, now you see me, now you don't, kind of like magician vibes. So I was into that. And then at the very end, where she's like, Oh, like uh, you mean your son, who my dragon is sitting next to in his window? That's you know, it was just very much like she had accounted for everything. And I love when Violet doesn't necessarily like use her OP lightning abilities or whatever, she uses her mind, which was her original weapon. Um, so that was again side questy, but ultimately satisfying that those moments were satisfying. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I will say that, although I will say that as Violet as a character, having Andarna using the Suns as even unconscious leverage speaks to her crossing some lines that I wouldn't have expected from book one Violet. Oh Violet's crossing some lines here that I didn't think that she would be comfortable doing.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, okay. So I'm even this development or I I'm not.
SPEAKER_00:Um, I'm actually more invested in Violet's soul than Zaydan's for whatever that's worth.
SPEAKER_01:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00:Um, but I I'm a little concerned about Violet. And there were a couple of other things. There were comments made about how Violet could still talk to her dragons, but other people couldn't. And how there was thunder, there was lightning, even though they were on a magic-free island. I don't remember which side quest it was. Um, and and how did that happen? And so I I have concerns for Violet and Violet's soul.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, so you think she's dabbling in venonism?
SPEAKER_00:Maybe she got some honor. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, okay. See, for me, that was reading uh she's not like other girls. Like that's the I was just like, oh, it's cringe.
SPEAKER_00:Like it's a little bit much more that would be a much more benign answer, and I would be okay with it. I I immediately went to a deep, dark, twisty place, which is kind of I kind of like that.
SPEAKER_02:I like that better. I didn't go there, but I like it better. I keep wanting it to get deep, dark, and twisty because at this point it's it's fluffy. I mean, there's stuff that happens where you're like, oh, shucks, but like it's still pretty fluffy.
SPEAKER_00:Like, and you know, Zaydan's been very transparent from the beginning to us as the reader, as well as to Violet and whoever else, like he will do whatever for her, he will cross whatever line, he has made no bones about it, he's been upfront about that from the jump. Yeah, Violet, however, just keeps finding herself going further over the line. Yeah, though she's moving the line, like uh yes, she's moving the goalposts on in terms of um acceptable behavior, and that has me a little concerned for our girl. Okay, that's interesting.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, and uh speaking of this particular side quest, remember my prediction from last episode?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, I almost texted you too, and I'm like, I don't know where she's at. I know that you read so much faster than I do because we have very different schedules. Um, and I was like, no, I'll save it for the save it for the pod. But yeah, I thought of you. I think I got there like the next day after we recorded last time.
SPEAKER_02:Same. Um, so yeah, if you recall, uh my prediction last time was that Zaiden's mom was Epiphany or whatever the hell, the venom that's obsessed with violence.
SPEAKER_01:Theophany.
SPEAKER_02:Theophany, sorry. Names and I we don't get along. So like it's been a week and a half since I finished this. That's why I couldn't even remember the word venom there for a second. Um, but anyways, my prediction was that Zaiden's mom was Theophany because we hadn't seen her in a million years. She was supposed to be this strikingly beautiful, like dark-haired woman. Um, so I thought, uh, well, those things might go to the old. I don't know if she was dark-haired, but like, you know, strikingly beautiful. So it turns out that Zaiden's mom was just back where she came from. She was like a male order contract bride, and once her contract was up, she went back home.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I will say though, when it comes to Theophany, there was a mom connection.
SPEAKER_02:You were just wrong mom.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that is right. So them drawing that out as we were getting more and more into that conflict with Theophany, um, and and realizing that uh, because this whole time they've been pitting it as, you know, uh kind of like uh kind of like Jedi's light side, dark side, you know, light side lightning wielder and a dark side lightning wielder. Oh, but just kidding, she's not a lightning wielder per se. She's a weather witch. Well, and weather witch.
SPEAKER_02:I love it. I love that. Uh yeah, I actually took a little, what did I? I took a note there that was like I put oh my god, Theophany being a storm wielder is intense. That's what I put, just like emotionally intense. Um, and speaking of like the twinning dark side, light side, uh, the fact that one of the um, oh my gosh, what's uh what I can't, I don't know his name, but one of the people at the academy are uh he manifested shadow wielding. Yes, so it's like I don't remember his name either, but yeah, I wrote it down.
SPEAKER_00:I thought that was really cool, and I'm like, does that mean Zaiden becomes their dark shadow wielder? Okay, so is that carved in stone?
SPEAKER_02:I don't know if this was uh the autocorrect fail, but I put Lynx, Lynx manifesting shadows as the balance to Zaiden. I put was chilling because it's like it felt like it was yeah um like a foregone conclusion that Zaiden was going to the dark side. That's what that read to me.
SPEAKER_00:Um Lynx, you were right, like the like the cat. Like the cat.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, I was like, did I write something weird and then autocorrected? You were square on. So yeah, I do wonder if you know people will read into that, right? Like, I mean, I guess at a certain point Zaydans the the cat gets out of the bag a little bit with him, but uh yeah, that should have been a pretty big red flag for them. Um but okay, so Zayd's mom shows up, theophany is the the mirror to Violet's mom, lots of mom action. Um, and then we have I don't know if you remembered this last episode, but I said that I wanted Dane to be happy, and I was like, maybe he could date Kat. Uh, and then Kat did find a boyfriend for a minute, and then Kat's boyfriend immediately got wrecked.
SPEAKER_00:Like, and I'm pretty sure that's because of you. I I'm pretty sure you did that.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, it feels like it a little bit, but man, ouch! Like what a brutal I mean, I said that it's a fluffy book, but then things like that happen where it's like, okay, you know, Zaytan gets a funny little trinket and somebody else gets a hug. And then this guy who's dating Kat gets an arrow to the heart. Arrow to the heart. What? What? And then of course the rule is like, and you can't react because that would violate the rules, and then they're like crying and whatever. Like, that feels like a reaction to me, but I guess it wasn't enough of a reaction to disqualify them from whatever this test was. Yeah, I don't know. It was weird.
SPEAKER_00:But Traeger's sacrifice led them to the uninhabited island.
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:And that brings us to the Erids.
SPEAKER_02:We did find the Erids. My notes about the Erids are Erids are Judgy.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Yes.
SPEAKER_02:Judgy.
SPEAKER_00:I'm like, are they the elves of this world?
SPEAKER_02:Oh, holier than thou. Peace, you know, I don't need to get involved in the affairs of men kind of thing. No, I actually, yeah, that's that's kind of a really good parallel. But I didn't like them when we met them. They made me mad. Um, incredibly judgy.
SPEAKER_00:I felt they were very dismissive of Andarna's um autonomy. Yeah. Um, so I've I very much felt for Andarna in that interaction.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And how incredibly dismissive they were of her and what role she played in her own outcomes path journey.
SPEAKER_02:And I don't know if it would have like resulted in anything different had Zaid not showed up at the exact wrong time. Because it felt like Violet was at least persuading, like that one that came back later. But it did not, it wasn't looking good. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:It didn't feel like it was going quite that well.
SPEAKER_02:No, I don't think so. So that was kind of like, and the funny thing is, uh, we talked about this last time too. It's like, what happens when they find the Erids? It in the way of fantasy books, it'll probably be underwhelming. And then there it was. It was like a rom-com, you know, where you're like, okay, we're we're finally together, and then oh, something happened, and we can't be together anymore. And then at the very end, something else happens, and it's like happily ever after, not quite, but like more or less.
SPEAKER_00:And then Andarna was, you know, MIA for a good chunk of of this read because she was so upset about what happened.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. So that was interesting, and then ultimately this kind of jumps ahead a little bit, but like Andarna breaks up Violet, which was it's kind of harsh.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so that gave me real you it's your fault because you put Twilight in my brain, but it gave me such Edward Bella vibes when Edward Bella Oh, like New Moon.
SPEAKER_02:Spoilers, but if you haven't read Twilight by now, my god, what are you doing? Yeah, it's it's really old.
SPEAKER_00:Um pretty old. Yeah, I don't so that was, and I understand that they're bonded, and I I do understand the the concept because it's not unique to this book set. There's plenty of fantasy series that talks about bonding and mating, you know, mates. Um yeah, I was like, this is now it's Edward and Bell, and I can't unsee it, and it made me so mad in the moments when it was happening. Oh but it was very similar, right? Like she was very lackluster, she didn't want to do anything, people were concerned about her, they were trying to get her out of her funk.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. And then ultimately she got an offer she couldn't refuse, and she took it and she broke up with Violet, kind of for temporarily at least. Um, yeah, so that was uh that was a bit of a bummer. I mean, I totally understood where Indarna was coming from, but the way that they kind of emphasize, especially at the end of the book, the just intensity of these bonds, right? And we got the hint at the beginning where it was like your first love is unbreakable or whatever the hell it was. Ever last I can't remember, but the the riddle about first loves and it being the answer being the dragon was like a good hint. And like to me, I don't know, Violet's relationship with Tairn, it's kind of like a like a big brother, younger sister thing, and I don't get this like insane depth that they're suggesting exists, but when we got Zaydan's POV, I believe, that's when it really finally. Hammered home how intense this bond was, right? He was like, Violet will take care of herself. Like, it's, you know, well, what's her face? Segael. Segail is like everything right now. I have to protect her. Like, how dare they touch her? It was like he went off about them harming Segail. And his just inner monologue to me really emphasized the bond more than any other, any other time. Even when Andarna broke up with Violet, that was another thing where it was like, oh wow, Violet's really feeling it right now. But Andarna was always this like little sister to older sister relationship and just didn't ever feel like she hibernated and then she disappeared.
SPEAKER_00:Like Andarna is very much still a juvenile.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. So it just never felt as deep as I think it's supposed to. Um, but you know, once they broke up, or once Andarna broke the bond, like it did it. We got the hint, but then but then with the Zaiden POV, I thought that was the like finally we were like really understood the depth of bonds, in my opinion. I thought that was a good picture.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I I was gonna say that I liked the fact that there were a couple more cameo chapters this this read through where we got to see some dynamics between different riders and their dragons. I thought that that was very telling. Um, but my favorite was with Segale and Zaydan, um especially given that Zaydan has gone dark side and and what the implications are for that very strong relationship.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so I really loved that we got to see that. I liked that we got to see it in other writers as well. Um, you know, some some more snarky tongue-in-cheek um Yeah, the banter. The banter. And I do like banter.
SPEAKER_02:I do too. The the dragon banter is fun. Oh my gosh, what was it? Um did you fall off? I did not bond a whiner. Getting like that. I just I liked it. I would it was it was good. Um I will say that the other POVs, well, since we're talking about those, there was one thing that kind of came up for me during the P the uh Imogen POV, and it was like her best friend Quinn. All of a sudden, she's like, I love one person more than any other, and it's Quinn. And I was just to me, that felt like it sort of came out of nowhere. Like Quinn feels like such a tertiary side character that in this one POV, all of a sudden, it felt like the author Yarros is just being like, No, you really like the stakes are so high. Look at this character dying. You should really care about this character because she's basically Rihanna, Rihanna to Imogen, right? And so it was like she was basically like, Some people need to die during this, so I'm gonna pick this character that I've named before and make it so that like her death is supposed to be impactful. And to me, it did not land. I like it was good to see Imogen having her own POV, and I enjoyed it for the most part, but I just emotionally I was like, okay.
SPEAKER_00:I think for me, so I agree that that that's what it felt like the purpose was of that. For me, it just emphasized that we've spent so long in Violet and Zaydan's story that I uh there were definitely times throughout this book where I was like, we already know that person, whose dragon is that? Like, yeah, and I and I'm like, we are on book three, I should have this down. I don't know why I'm getting the you know, who are you again vibes? Like, I this is not, as you know, the most complex story I've ever read. Far from it, you know, like we're used to books that have lots and lots of named characters, and I'm not saying I kept all of those straight by any means, but um I was like, wow, I feel like just when you're in Violet and Zaydan's world, like that's so all-encompassing, and it really sharply contrasts that everybody else is tangential to the story.
SPEAKER_02:It's true, and it it just feels like I mean, I guess that's it's a romantic book, so like of course they are the the heart of the story, but it does just feel like everyone else is kind of just disposable, like yeah, at any point, and I guess like because we in the book one, like I really fell in love with Liam at a certain point, like he was like such a sweet character, and like she really worked to make you care about him, but of course it's because of how close he was with Violet, but still, because of that, it's like, oh my gosh, like I I am more connected, I am more attached to Liam still than I am to Imogen, for example. Because Imogen is this like snarky badass with which I love, but she's just we don't have like much from her, like per like depth. We don't have I don't we don't I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:I feel like Rhiannon is the only one who came close. Yeah, Rhiannon comes close, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But then again, it's like probably because of who she is in relation to Violet, right? Like, because if she died, it would be like, oh my god, Violet's gonna be really impacted by this. And it does just feel like, and again, she's the main character, so I guess that makes sense. But the only way that we really care about somebody is if like they are extremely important to Violet, because otherwise we don't know anything about them. Um so let's just say I'll I'll I'll point points against Yarros for like world building and character development in that regard, just because world building is like not as but character development for sure. She's developed few characters to the point where I care whether they live or die.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I just I know that when we went into that chapter, I was like, huh, I didn't even know they were friends.
SPEAKER_02:Literally, I wrote Image in loves dot dot dot. And then finally, when she said it, I was like, Quinn question mark? Like those were my notes because I didn't know. Um, but I don't know. It's so so that was something. And so talking about the side characters, I think the side character in this book that I've grown to like be way more attached to than I was in previous books is Riddick. Um we talked about it. He was he was my he was my my MVP last episode, um, just because he really like wanted to help and he did the work to help, and it was just really kind of inspirational. So this time he finds out that Zaydan is a venom, right? In the I believe it was whenever they met up with the Irids, and that kind of gave it away. And his line after this happens is like my favorite thing, probably that's happened so far. He asks Violet if she has any respect for her own life, or is she just concerned with Zadens?
SPEAKER_00:And I was like, Yeah, yes, yes, so that exactly that interaction, that whole thing with him pushing her, like drilling her, like where is the line? Where is too far? You have to define it, you have to say it out loud. Where will you know? Okay, he's gone, yeah, and making her say that out loud.
SPEAKER_02:I was like, Yes, literally, literally, literally, finally, somebody is trying to knock it out.
SPEAKER_00:Somebody is making her say it out loud.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that was so satisfying. So not only did he like really come into his own this book in the first half, but then he's like, Oh, this guy's actually quite wise and a good friend, and he doesn't take shit from anybody, like he's you know, he's not gonna put up with her.
SPEAKER_00:He's like a fully fledged personality in their circle and like can go toe-to-toe with them and be like, This is not okay.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, and then they tried to kill him um at some point, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, he got stabbed, right? Yeah, he got so she thought he got stabbed, which I like. I linked that moment to like the jump scare of oh my god, not Riddick, and the and the PTSD that created for Violet. I mean, obviously that's sad, but um yeah, like just a reminder Violet's had some trauma, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that was a good little section. Um obviously it was good in the sense that it got something out of me where I was like, no, like you don't like I don't care about almost anybody in this book, if I'm honest, but I will care if you kill Riddick.
SPEAKER_00:So, like if there's one thing I'll refer to as a jump scare in this book, it is that moment where she was like seeing it through his coat, and I was like, oh my god, not Riddick, not Riddick, not Riddick.
SPEAKER_02:Not Riddick, like guy gets stabbed in the like like what's her face, cat's boyfriend, fine, like sucks to her, sucks to be her. It's really sad, but you know, whatever. And um, Garrick dying from the poison. Uh that would have been sad for Zaydan for sure. I did not want it to happen, but it wasn't anywhere near how I felt about me thinking Rick was gonna die. Um, so anyways, it happened. Uh, another line from this book that I thought was very apropos, uh, if I can use that phrasing, is uh, is it toxic? Maybe. Is it us? Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00:That gives me the ick.
SPEAKER_02:It gives me such an ick. It's like this book is so twilight. It's so twilight. Like she is doing things that are so bad for her, and like she even recognizes some of the stuff they're doing is toxic, and yet it doesn't matter because she is so infatuated. It's a problem. Like, I this relationship is a real problem. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, all the red flags, yeah. Um, I think that I'll take that moment to segue. There was another, there was one other phrase, there was one other moment that really stuck with me, um, and one other um near miss that was really traumatic. So when we got to the showdown with Theophany and um Violet going, you know, doing the back and forth about uh being a priestess and her, you know, in her primal rage, going, Why serve a god when you can be a god? And I was like, it's so cliche, but I love it so much. I love to hear it from my bad guys. Thank you. Yeah. Um, I really I loved that. I was like, yes, lean into that crap.
SPEAKER_02:Mm-hmm. It's giving land fear.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, yes, like I just want you to be all that and a bag of chips. Like, if you're gonna go down that path, you're gonna go down it with fanfare and and a hundred percent zest.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, that was uh that was it was good, um, that final confrontation. But of course, like Zaydan ultimately once again kind of saved the day. I mean, sort of, Arik, though. Arik, Mr., what do they call it? Um he was a pre-cog. Pre-cog.
SPEAKER_00:And so he And I love the fact that they actually like called out like he's a pre-cog, but he's like better than Melgren, pre-cog.
SPEAKER_02:Uh-huh. Like uber precog. He sets up all the chess pieces, like, make sure you go by the temple, whatever. Like, make sure you do this, do that. Like, he had he put the pieces on the board in this final section, which I thought was so satisfying. Like, and Violet finally realizing, like, what the hell happened? Like, what did he give? You know, what did he give me? Oh my god, all of that stuff. Like, it was uh that was my favorite part, I think. That reveal. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:That's definitely a top five moment for me because of the unexpected moment of me going based on my read, when do I think his signet started to kick in? Like all of that fun, you know. I wonder when he knew what he knew. Um so that was like free of charge, just a little bit of sprinkle on top.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, no, that was that was fabulous. Um, big fan of that. But then of course, like Satan's big burst, his his avatar moment was crazy, yeah, yeah. Which sent him over the edge, I guess. And now he's just yeah, he's a venom now, kind of.
SPEAKER_00:Truly, yeah. I mean, the way that it was written is you know, he felt his soul leave his body, you know, just she didn't she didn't hold back on the dramaticism at the moment.
SPEAKER_02:No, no, and like the one thing he held on to was like his love for Violet or like Violet's love for him. So he still has that scrap. He's got he's got a shred left, so much so that he married Violet. Shall we shall we go there?
SPEAKER_00:Well, can we time out on the marriage? Sure. Do we have any thoughts we want to share on the sister almost dying? And yeah, I mean, that was pretty that was another one where I was like, You're gonna effing take Mira from Vi.
SPEAKER_02:Like, really? She thought her brother was dead. Now her sister's no, that's it. Yeah, that was annoying. Um, but let me just say, Dane coming in hot and being like, take it, take take my stuff, like take everything you need from me, save Mira. That to me, I put was dreamy. Like, okay, Dane, like Mr. Knight in Shining Arbor. I love that for you. Um, so I didn't truly think Mira was gonna die. I don't know why. Like sometimes, like other people, I'm like, oh, they're gonna, I don't care, they might die. Like, sure, whatever, they can die. Mira, though, I didn't think it was gonna happen. There was gonna be something. There was gonna be something. I just kind of knew. I don't know why or how. Uh mainly be well, you know what? I bet I I think in the back of my mind, without fully bringing it forward, I thought Violet lost her mom at the end at the climax of the last book.
SPEAKER_00:I don't see that would be quite a double whammy to do it two books in a row.
SPEAKER_02:And it'd be kind of like a little repetitive. So I just didn't think, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I did you think she was she was no, but I I think I was eager to see how they were gonna how she was gonna resolve the situation.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, you know. So, and I thought it was interesting. And uh, you know, I'm I'm kind of mad because I feel like Brother Dave has redeemed himself.
SPEAKER_02:He has absolutely redeemed himself.
SPEAKER_00:And it makes me mad.
SPEAKER_02:I I mean, yeah, it's you know what though, I do love a good redemption arc, and I feel like we're finally like fully, fully there. He stole the books for Violet in the first half of the book, and he's been helping, he's been translating, although now his he was like rendered obsolete somewhat by Arik joining the band. But now, yeah, now he just self-sacrificed, more or less, you know, like take take everything, um, just to protect Mira, who is like, you know, his would have been sister-in-law in another life. So yeah, that was pretty great. I was a big fan of Dayton there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so yeah, I mean, that takes us into Zaydan having his Super Saiyan moment to protect Segail. Um which let's just take a moment to just say on the record that I was horrified, horrified that that they killed the dragon and that they were coming for Sagale. Like made me sick to my stomach.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um and it was really one of those things where I guess it makes sense because they're venom, and venom don't have dragons, and it was it was it hit the mark for me. Like it definitely elicited a response. So good job on that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. I guess it was was it Panchex Dragon they killed? Who's doing it? Yes, okay, and Pancheck. Who was he again? I have no idea. He was one of the professors, right?
SPEAKER_00:Was he? Sure.
SPEAKER_02:Um that's the problem with this book, is like there's so there's like there's not an over abundance of characters, right? It's nothing overwhelming, but there's so many people who are just like ex-professor, and then there's another professor, and then there's another professor, and they all have names, but they don't have real personalities.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so yeah, and so the hard part for me is that like it was another person who was on the side of the light who went to the side of the dark.
SPEAKER_02:Well, yeah, because they said there was a mole or whatever, so that like that was the re reveal. That's like, oh, it was pancheck. And then I was like, oh, who's that?
SPEAKER_00:I I know I've heard the name. Um, I think you I think you might be right. I think they might be a professor. Right. I'm sorry for not knowing off the top of my head.
SPEAKER_02:No, it's okay. I mean, did you like Google it and the wiki's not helping you? No, I no, I don't dare. Um, I pulled it up. We've read it all now.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, we have read it all now. Yay! Oh, I'm not sure. No, I just pulled up my my old notes and uh did a control F on Pancheck.
SPEAKER_02:The first Reddit post of this. I I just Google Pancheck. The first Reddit post at the very top of Google. Why Pancheck? And then the the underneath. I think Pancheck was made the traitor because he was so obscure. It's like, yeah, like who? Um he's okay, so he's responsible for leading both the first and last formation of the year, welcoming new cadets and congratulating, congratulating, congratulating, graduating ones. It's just, yeah, he's some rando professor. Okay, commandant at Biscayath. Okay, okay, and so he's the he's the guy. Oh my gosh, what a big reveal. I don't know. I guess there had to be somebody, so here we are. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so yeah, another betrayal, light side to dark side, and then the horrific revelation of killing the dragon and then immediately turning it around to go for scale. And again, with another moment of I like Zaiden just a little bit more because he wants to protect Sagale just as much as he would want to protect Violet.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So yeah.
SPEAKER_02:No, I like that too. I thought finally we get some like it's not just Zaiden Violence, Zayle, but yeah, Zaid and Violet, Zayden Violet, it's all like it's they have important relationships outside of each other. And one of them is the dragons, which is the whole point of these books, right? These books are supposed to be like centered on dragons, and finally the stakes are high when it comes to dragons. Um, so that was good. It was fun. I liked the I like the black. Like I it was another moment in these books where, like in the when the whole town catches on fire, um, it was something I could visualize. And I don't know if I was visualizing it right, but it's like this just absolute blast, this wave of like weird shadow coming off and like just covering the land. I it was just something I could picture, like in my mind's eye, which I think is good, like it's cinematic, right? So it'll lend itself to if this ever gets made into a show or a movie.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it was and it was an all-out, yeah, it was an all-out defense of her. Um so it was by far a big moment, a big beat. Yeah, and then we and then we go into really, I feel like just from there, we went into her waking up the next day kind of moment.
SPEAKER_02:Literally, and I I put in my notes um Violet Almost Dying has to happen at least once a book. So why not at the very end? Yeah. Literally it's like, oh my gosh. And then she passed, and then everything went black. Like, okay. I mean, we know she's gonna come back. She's the main character.
SPEAKER_00:But well, she did the whole grand finale with a broken arm.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah. Which okay. Yeah, facts. All right. Good for her. I mean, she she's got a lot going on physically that she's dealing with. So it's commendable for sure. But I don't know. I I feel like I'm just being such a hater this this uh episode. So sorry about that.
SPEAKER_00:This one's your least favorite. So does that mean you like two the best?
SPEAKER_02:I yeah, I guess so. I think because I know two I thought was an improvement on one. Um so I'd say two is the best one. Yeah. World build world expanded, stakes raised. We actually knew the characters, so we didn't have to do the whole get to know, you know, yeah, the people. It was, yeah, I think that was the strongest. And I do, just felt like a filler book to me. So if you did read these books, let us know what your order was, right? So I'm I'm two, one, three. You're three, two, one, correct?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah. It's it's close. It's close. Three, like I said, three scratch the itch on some more world building and and meeting some other and going some other places. Yeah. So, but three and two are really close.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I mean, I usually claim that I'm like a world building girly. Like, I love a book that's like actually this world is huge, you know, like here's all these other civilizations, like, we're going everywhere, babe. Um, you know, like the cultures are different, everybody looks different, they talk different. And like that was in this book, but it just didn't land for me. It just felt like it was it was very forced or something. It just didn't feel you know, it was like it wasn't like they were in a world or in a new place. It was like they just went to somebody's house. That's what it felt like to me for the most part. So I don't know. I'm again, I'm being a hater. Sorry about that. Um, so okay. Panchex the traitor, whatever. Zaiden and Zaiden blows up. Violet gets saved, Arik has an amazing precog moment. Um, oh, also Violet's a dream walker.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Maybe, except for Andarna unbonded her.
SPEAKER_00:Now, what does it mean with Andarna not being around?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. Although it's so funny how it's like, I put in my notes, I thought Violet being like, it's so weird that I'm looking at my hand, but it's actually Zaydan's hand. It's like, girl, you like I think you're smart. Like, figure that shit out. You're in his dream. Like, come on. It's a magical world. I feel like it's not that big of a leap, especially because you find out that like you guys are having matching dreams. I don't know. Um, yeah, at a certain point I thought, duh, duh, that's your that's your ability. Um but I don't know, yeah. How do you feel about dream walking in the fourth wing universe?
SPEAKER_00:Um you know, I'm TBD. I I read a book series that has a really cool dream walking. So I'm a little biased. So I'll be interested to see how she incorporates that in the next book.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah. So far it's just been like learning things about people. And I guess, like, you know, you can spy on people in that way if you can like target them. So yeah, we'll see. We'll see how it gets implemented. Um, assuming that she gets it back with Andarna and whatever.
SPEAKER_00:Yep, she left it super vague about what happens to their relationship and how Andarna can modify their bond and what that means. Um she left that very, very, very open-ended and interested to know whether or not that impacts that ability.
SPEAKER_02:Speaking of what that means, I feel like that has to be the solution to the Zaiden problem is Andarna's change ability, right? Because the Irids have this magical change power.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_00:So which we still don't know any more about than we did at the top of the book because the Irids wouldn't tell her anything.
SPEAKER_02:Right. And they Yaros wouldn't tell us anything because she wanted to write more books. Sorry. Yeah. Cynical. Um, but yeah, so that just if Satan is gonna be saved, it's either he dies and sacrifices himself, and it's this epic tragedy, which would be my preference. Um, or there's some magical solution related to the Irids because they're they're the ace in the hole.
SPEAKER_00:I don't know. So I mean, definitely when they saw the Irids, the Irid said you can't cure Venom. Yes.
SPEAKER_02:But so I'm like, that and I'm always a little skeptical because I'm like, when you tell me point blank I don't believe you that makes me feel like you're gonna, but you know, there's gonna be a loophole somewhere, or because Violet's brilliant and their relationship is so strong and she's not like other girls, then they're gonna figure it out for the first time.
SPEAKER_00:She gives them half of her soul, so together they're a whole person.
SPEAKER_02:Sorry. I feel I feel like that would not be my preferred outfit. Oh no, me either. Again, like let's make this an ep, let's make this a Shakespearean, that's a strong word, tragedy. Let's let Zaiden sacrifice himself and then you know, Violet end up with Dane because he's the he's the Pita Malark, he's the Jacob Black before Rennes May. He's the one that's good for her. Where Zaiden is not.
SPEAKER_00:I see, I feel like she should go for Arik and then, you know, be a overlord.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. I mean, yeah, Arik is uh although Kat wanted to be royalty. And she had, you know, that could be fun if her and Arik ended up together.
SPEAKER_00:So does that make Violet the new commander-in-chief of the Askeus? Oh, because her mom's gone. Is Melgren still in charge?
SPEAKER_02:Like oh, Dane's Dane's dad.
SPEAKER_00:Dane's dad is in charge. Yeah, Dane's dad is well, we know that can't stay. We know he's gonna have to go.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I mean, it does mean that Violet has been knighted, the head of all of those armies that Zaiden is in charge of, the Duke of Tyrandor.
SPEAKER_00:So what do we think that means? That he leaves a note that says, Don't look for me, it's yours now. Does that mean Tyrandoor is yours now?
SPEAKER_02:I think she's the Duchess. She's a Duchess of Tyndor and a Duchess of the other one that Zaiden's in charge of. That is kind of confusing to me. Um there's like two that he's the boss of. Whatever. So she gets them both because she's the wife.
SPEAKER_00:So we think that's what he means when he says it's yours now?
SPEAKER_02:I think so. You think it's just the ring? No, I don't think it's the ring.
SPEAKER_00:I think it's an a um a mysterious it.
SPEAKER_02:Oh. I mean, that's fair because like calling like a no b noble title it is kind of bizarre, right?
SPEAKER_00:It's like I guess my kingdom.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, my kingdom is yours, I guess. Yeah. I mean, and I don't even know if that's how it works in their land, right? Because they kept saying like she doesn't he doesn't have an heir. They never said he doesn't have a wife.
SPEAKER_00:Um because that's what because Garrick Bodhi. Bodhi was his heir.
SPEAKER_02:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Right up until marriage. Now that they're married, we don't know.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, seemingly violet, based on the note, I think, but question mark unclear.
SPEAKER_00:I think that's a really obvious answer. I just was like, maybe maybe it's a mysterious it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. His soul. Although I feel like he would have said his soul was hers already.
SPEAKER_00:He did.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:He did, in fact, say that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, right. Okay. That feels like something that might have been said. Um, it was okay, it was okay. And oh, also, just speaking of the secret marriage, um the fact that Violet can't remember it, that's another thing that gave me an insane ick. Just an absolutely unbelievable ick.
SPEAKER_00:So it was double barrel. She doesn't remember it because she told Imogen to wipe her memory.
SPEAKER_02:I know.
SPEAKER_00:So Violet's making choices. Violet is making choices that I don't know are good choices.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, I guess it's because, like, you know, Dane could read her mind, but I think she trusts Dane at this point. Like, yeah. I like I guess it's it to me, it was like, okay, yeah, she didn't want them to be able to like torture her into finding Zaiden, but couldn't they have gone to a neutral location? You know, I don't know. Like, it just felt like extra dramatic and icky. Because, like, how do we know that it was fully consensual if she can't remember it? I mean, I'm sure it was, I'm sure it was just based on their like insanely toxic and codependent relationship, but like, did that not give any like if you're if you're listening, did this give you the ick? Please let us know. Or is it just me being a hater? I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:It's giving I blacked out in Vegas vibes.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, it's giving Britney Spears got married, you know, and has to get it an old. I granted they've been together for a while, so like that's it's not exactly the same, but it does give me it's it is giving I blacked out in Vegas and married my high school sweetheart, kind of thing. Um anyway, so okay, we I feel like we've covered it pretty well, the book. Do you have any other thoughts before we do our MVP thing?
SPEAKER_00:Uh Dead Dragons and Missing Eggs.
SPEAKER_02:So I'm the missing eggs, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, well, and Dead Dragons. I'm like, oh I I definitely in it to win it and gonna read the next book. Uh the the stealing of dragon eggs is I'm not okay. Like, I gotta know what's happening there.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, fair, yeah. And I feel like it is it is to be fair, I wanna be judicious here. It's more than the sunk cost fallacy. Like, I'm not just gonna read the next one because I've already read three books. I am interested to see how it gets resolved. Hoping for a great tragedy, but we'll see. Um I hope it comes around and is is satisfying, and you know, all the all my predictions come true, or I get surprised in ways that I didn't expect because that would be even better. Um, I like to be surprised. So yeah. Cool. Okay, so uh that's it. Every episode and season of Bud Are Their Dragons, we pick an MVP, and because we're only doing two episodes per book, a runner-up MVP, so we can figure out who was the peak MVP of the book. Um, so we'll start by picking our MVP and runner-up MVP of this half that we just read, the second half of Onyx Storm, and then we'll calculate, we'll run some numbers and let you all know who the actual MVP is. We haven't talked about this in advance, but for the first time maybe ever, I do have my two picked out already.
SPEAKER_00:So it's just Yeah, you're usually always deciding at least one in the moment.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, in the moment I typically decide. Like after the discussion, I'm like, oh yeah, I did feel strongly about that. No, this time I in my notes, even I put who was the MVP, and then yeah, um, anyway, so Jessica, who is your runner-up MVP for this episode?
SPEAKER_00:Um, so a little bit of a different approach. My runner-up for this episode is actually Asher Soringale. Oh, so I I fell into a moment where I was like, he had moves and counter moves like laid out in advance, all of this knowledge that he had stockpiled and distributed, and and so much of it contextually mattered. Um, and you know, for example, saving Garrick. Um, and I just was like, I don't think Asher got enough love for all the work he was doing to help his you know daughter in her future state. So for my runner-up this time, I picked Asher Soringale.
SPEAKER_02:That is a good one. I like it. So my runner-up, it was a it was a competition. There were two that I had to choose between. Um, but I ultimately, well, I'll say the runner-up to the runner-up. The runner-up to the runner-up was Riddick because his confrontation with Violet for me was just like, thank effing god somebody said what I'm thinking. Um, so that was really satisfying. But my actual runner-up is Dane Dave. Because, yeah, because of that moment, it just stuck with me whenever he was just like, take whatever you need, like, take all my power. I don't keep like drain me, get Mira.
SPEAKER_00:Like, this is gonna hurt.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, this is gonna hurt. I don't give a sh like, just do it. And that to me was as I said in my notes, dreamy. That was dreamy. And and the thing about it, like, it was with um Sloan, that's uh Liam's sister. And it was, you know, like she has so much reason to hate Dane, and the fact that they like kind of came to some kind of like, okay, we're gonna do this even though you hate me kind of thing. It was all just it was good, it was just really good. I I liked it a lot. It's really good. Um big fan of Dane. This book, actually, which this whole book, um, because he was my he was my runner up last time, too.
unknown:Yep.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so MVP, Jessica, who was your MVP for Otic Storm?
SPEAKER_00:So my MVP ended up being Rhyddick because of that scene. Like I could not get away from it, and I think that it is incalculable how important it is for them to have a person that pushes back on them the way that he has been doing. Um, so yes, he's funny, yes, he's got tongue in cheek, he's got jokes, cool, but he's also going, oh, you know, when is too far too far? And nobody else is saying those things. Yeah. And I think that it's really important. Um, especially as I mentioned, like my concern is for Violet's welfare. Um, and nobody else is asking those hard questions or holding her accountable to think about those things. So for me, for this half, it was Riddick.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. I know I'm a fan. As I said, he was my runner after the runner-up. So my MVP for this book, this half of the book, this episode, um, was Arik. Just because of the the pieces on the board. He lined everybody up, he made it happen. He was like, he was the guy. Like, if without him, we would have lost, you know, and so that to me was just like the he was a part of the best reveal of the book. Um, he was invaluable, his translation skills, all that stuff. Like, he really, he, as a first year, came out and was just like, actually, guys, I'm amazing. And he's so humble about it. Like, he's no, he's um, he's a good really good character. And I just I love a person who, you know, just does what they need to do in a really satisfying way. And that was him. So to me, MVP was our.
SPEAKER_00:So we flip-flopped from last time.
SPEAKER_02:We did flip-flop from last time on our MVPs. So I'm like kind of confused here. Alright, so if we assign two points to the MVPs and one point to the runners up, I fear we have a tie. Um one moment. Because we didn't Yeah, because we didn't overlap at all. Okay, so Riddick has four points because he was your MVP and my MVP. Like your MVP in this episode, my MVP from last episode. Ary has four points because he was your MVP last episode, my MVP this episode. Dane was my runner up both episodes, so he's got two points.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um let's see.
SPEAKER_00:And then I've got Asher and Garrick.
SPEAKER_02:And Garrick. So Asher and Garrick both have one. Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So how do you choose between Riddick and Arik?
SPEAKER_02:How do you choose between Riddick and Arik? That's so funny.
SPEAKER_00:Huh. I mean, I'd probably have to if I were put to the test, yeah, I'd probably have to give Eric the advantage, Arik the advantage just because of cumulatively across the whole book, his pre-cog revelation, his coming in clutch um for the negotiations, for the um all the plans that he helped salvage when his brother was being a doo-doo head, and um, you know, coming in clutch with the uh weapon that she needed to defeat Theophany. Like, I'd probably have to give it to Arik over Riddick. But like you just said, I love it, I love a character who just does the work, and Riddick has been there day in and day out doing the work.
SPEAKER_02:See, that's so funny because literally I was like, if I had to pick for the book, like I loved Arik and everything that he did, he was instrumental to the success of what everyone was doing. But Riddick, I felt was a stronger character, like his personality, like we got to know him better. He like again confronted Violet when nobody else would. He was more satisfying. It's so close, though. Because like in a do we put it up to a vote?
SPEAKER_00:Do we put it up for a vote?
SPEAKER_02:Let's put it up for a vote. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's it's unresolved, fam, because Riddick and Arik are both strong, very the strongest characters in the book. Uh, and it's tough. It's like one, again, instrumental, invaluable, the best review.
SPEAKER_00:It's like choosing between Mary and Pippin. Who does that? People don't do that.
SPEAKER_02:It's true, it's really true. So, yeah, if you uh let us know. Let us know who you would pick between the two of them, because truly, at this point, between the two of us, it's a tie.
SPEAKER_00:So it really is. I could I could talk it back and forth all day.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and we didn't pick a single woman this whole for this entire book, which is kind of wild. Another symbol, another signal that this is a filler book because Violet is the main character. Mira should be up there, right? Rihanna is Violet's best friend.
SPEAKER_00:There's so many female characters that should I feel like we did not get as much Rihanna in this book.
SPEAKER_02:We did not.
SPEAKER_00:Um, and you're right, Mira deserves more love.
SPEAKER_02:I yeah, she just kind of shows up as the muscle, more or less. That's that would like the vibe that I get from her. I would like more from her also um for the next book. So, all right. We feel good about this? I think so. Okay, so we are prepared to tell you all what our next read is going to be. It will be dropping sometime in January. Jessica, you want to do the honors?
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. So after our little holiday break. And in an effort to help you all obtain either your audible credit or whatever you need to do, we wanted to share with you that our new book going into January will be Project Hail Mary. Project Hail Mary with a date to be announced.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Project Hail Mary by oh my gosh, that's driving me nuts. Same guy who did the Martian.
SPEAKER_00:Um Andy Weir.
SPEAKER_02:Andy Weir. That's right, right, right, right. Um, and coincidentally, there is a movie coming out of Project Hail Mary in March, I believe, with Ryan Gosling at the helm. So I'm so hyped about that. I have read Project Hail Mary and I really, really enjoyed it. And I highly recommend if you go back and forth between physical copy and audiobook, I highly recommend the audiobook because it is very well done. Um, and I actually talked to somebody, I can't remember who it was, that started it one way, like physically, and then switched to the audiobook, and they were like, oh boy, that was the move.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so was that Mr. Jessica? It might have been Mr. Jessica.
SPEAKER_02:Was it Mr. Jessica? It might have been him.
SPEAKER_00:It might have been.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, yeah. So Mr. Jessica's also read it, right? The whole thing.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, and he's very excited, but we have been on a total uh blackout window on Project Hail Mary because he loved love loved it so much. Um but uh to the point where we're covering eyes and blocking ears when we go to the movie theater so that I don't see the trailers. Um, that's funny. So yeah, so I know nothing other than it's Brian Gosling.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:So it's gonna be great.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I'm really excited to read it again, um, listen to it again. It's it was it's a pleasure, honestly. And honestly, I'm also very excited to be moving on from the fourth wing series, not because it's bad, but because I love a change of pace, and I know that there are some people who were abstaining from the podcast because they didn't want to read the series. So hopefully you guys come back. Um, we would love to have you back.
SPEAKER_00:And it's nice to switch it up, it's super nice to switch it up.
SPEAKER_02:So, yeah, and it's and it's a one-off, right? So, like this will be one book. We'll read the first half, the second half, you know, maybe we go see the movie and talk about the movie. Um, and then we can pick something else, you know? We'll move on from there. So that does it. Get excited for Project Hale Mary by Andy Weir. Um, and thank you so much for tuning in to our eighth episode of season five of Butt Are There Dragons, brought to you by your hosts, Jessica Sedai and CritterXD. Don't forget to follow us at Butt Are Their Dragons on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and Butt Dragons Pod, just one T on X. You can also find your hosts on social media as Critter XD and Shelf Indulgence. And that is it for today. We commend Onyx Storm to Malik. Bye. Bye.
