Onyx Storm | Reactions w/ Maddie Mooregan

Welcome wonderful listeners to Episode 23 of the Shadow and Starlight Podcast!! We have another bonus episode for you, and this time we are joined by a lovely guest from BookTok, Maddie Mooregan! After devouring the book this week, we will discuss all things Onyx Storm and give Maddie a spotlight to share her passion project of recreating the audiobooks in her own style. 

• Reminder to tune into our first deep dive episode of Onyx Storm on Thursday, January 30th. We will be covering chapters 1-11.
• Link to Maddie’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mooregasm 
• This episode is based on Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. Intro Music by Boomer, graphics by @reeseplantedesign. 
• Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @shadowandstarlightpod, watch us on YouTube, and listen to us wherever you get your podcasts!
• Business email: shadowandstarlightpod@gmail.com

Transcript

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Welcome, wonderful listeners, to the Shadow and Starlight podcast, where two friends deep dive into popular fantasy and romance y books. We get into the stories, characters, world building, lore, and so much more. So buckle your seatbelts for this wild roller coaster ride of emotions, magical worlds, and laughs. I'm Kenzie. I'm Kena. And today we're discussing our initial reactions to Onyx Storm after devouring it for the last five days. For me, the last 20 freaking hours. So I'm like ready. I'm ready for it. Seriously. Well, first and foremost, please listen carefully to our content warning. These are adult books we're talking about and neither of us have a filter. So this podcast is rated R and for those 18 plus. Regarding spoilers, if you have not finished the entire Onyx Storm book, please come back later next, if you like what you hear today and want more, please come back. this Thursday, technically, for our Deep Dive, as a taller podcast, we'd love to hear your feedback to better ourselves and expand our book loving community. Please feel free to leave us reviews, reach out to us on social media, follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and watch us on YouTube at Shadow and Starlight Pod. Today we have a very special guest, Maddie Morgan. She is an actor, voiceover artist. Producer, editor, creative director, coordinator, and general rockstar. Holy crap. We originally came across her on TikTok because she is actually remaking the audiobooks for Fourth Wing. And spoiler alert, they are amazing. So welcome, Maddie. We're so happy you could join us today. I'm thrilled to be here. Thanks so much, y'all. Happy podcast. Yeah. we're going to get into it later, but do you want to tell us a little bit about your audiobook project and what inspired it? Yeah, for sure. So it's called fourth wing Maddie's version. If you YouTube search that it's all one playlist. basically I finished iron flame and then like, haven't resurfaced and have like been spending the last like year, basically of my life, like going chapter by chapter. and like recording, I play Violet and narrate, but then I have a lot of my other like voiceover actor friends cast as the other parts. and then I kind of like take the words into my own hands. it's similar, it's almost word perfect at the beginning, but as really I get to say it, like as Violet learns to think for herself, like I go off the page, but I'm just getting better at it. but it's, Less of an audiobook and more like, I am forcing everyone I know to play fourth wing with me. Nice, I love that. Very nice, very nice. Yes, but it's all canon accurate storytelling, chapter by chapter, Like, there's more dick jokes and Taylor Swift lyrics on purpose. Oh my god, more dick jokes? Freddick would love that. Yes, he would. He would definitely. I love him so much. Okay, drink of the pod. This is something we do and I actually don't have a drink today, so. Oh my gosh, where's your drink? I forgot to get one before we started. I just got water. Oh my god, are you drinking wine? Yeah, I'm like, I'm ready. I have, I have limeade just out of frame, if that's more palatable. Oh no, it's fine. We drink margaritas on this podcast. Yes, we do. I'm just basic today and I got some water because I need water. I haven't consumed water in the past like 24 hours, so. Been thriving on caffeine drinks. Okay. Three days until our first deep dive of Onyx Storm. Thursday. Our very first deep dive is going to be coming out and we're going to go over chapters one through 11. So if you want to do a little reread before you listen to our episode, go ahead and do that. And then we hope you join us for that deep dive. And then on Thursday as well, we're going to be announcing our next deep dive and we have narrowed it down to two. So we're either going to do Anathema by Carrie Lake or Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider, and we want some input from you guys. So reach out, let us know which one you would rather have us cover. or if you want to suggest another one, we're here for that too. So let us know. Yes. All right. Now it's time to get into it. Let's discuss. Are we calling this the parapet? Are our reactions take you through this parapet of emotions? A lot of emotions. So we're just gonna ask a couple questions and I guess we are all gonna just answer them with our initial reactions of the book. Yeah. So first question, how many stars would you give this book? Do you like it more or less than the first two? I don't think I've let it marinate enough to like give it a set rating, but off of RIP, like off my initial reaction, probably 4. 25, very specific. Do I like it more than the first two books? I don't know. That's a very hard question. Because again, I don't know. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I did. Do I like it more than the first? I feel like the first book is always gonna have my heart. When I first fell in love with Zayden just a moment for Zayden Ryerson. I will say this was definitely my favorite book of the three. But I think that's because I love reading about, like, political intrigue and just, like, the war. I was so much looking forward to, like, actually getting into, like, a war scene where she had, like, go find allies and, really get into battle. So, a million stars for me. Nice, nice. I can't think of anything I really didn't like other than we didn't get as many answers as I thought we would have but that's okay. I feel like I laughed so much more than I did the first two books and I also didn't cry as much as the first two books so I'm gonna call that a win and I also just fell in love with every single character even more especially Reddick. I'm gonna get to him. Yes. I love you. What about you Maddie? I'm like how many stars are we allowed to give? Because I'm fucking obsessed with this book, like, I think the third one, I totally agree with you, Kenzie. Fourth wing is like the one that, captured and hypnotized me and, like, has had me in a toe cold since. But Onyx Storm is so great because the world just gets so much bigger. every time I thought, like, I had a theory, Onyx Storm would take it and be like, Hey, so you're completely wrong about most shit. But, this one thing like, Yeah, you kind of were onto something there, but that's like the tiniest little piece of the puzzle because the red string is already behind you. it feels like she's really mapped out the story and you can tell she knows how it ends. And she's just like filling us. in and letting us figure it out. I just thought like the world building, the character development, the writing was so great. I mean, she's just so good at, like, getting you in, Violet's head and making your heart bound. Yeah, definitely. She's just so fucking good at it. I think her writing was definitely the best. In this book out of the other two, whether you're attached to the characters or the plot or whatever, and the other books, I feel like, at least for me, I think her writing was very, very good, which I love her writing anyways, but it was amazing. Yeah, I agree with, you can definitely tell in the writing that she knows how it's going to end. She's very intentional with like what she writes. So, yeah, it was definitely an adventure. I'll deal up the adventure aspect for it, but I'm like an OG, like. For me, like, every series is the first book for me. I don't know, it's what really pulled my heartstrings, but, yeah. No, that's fair. And Fourth Wing has such a specific, like, aesthetic. such a specific dark academia vibe that, it's felt like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban since the first book. Like, it's been dark and stormy since. But I feel like then Onyx Storm kind of takes it into like it's almost giving like Throne of Glass a little bit if it was like one POV just like in the, in the politics and the war in the alliances in the armies, like. I don't know. I understand the map now. Yes, same. Throne of Glass is my favorite book series ever. So I think you just, you just explained to me why I love this book so much. So thank you. Oh, cool. I might not be right. That's just a theory. I definitely love Throne of Glass cause I feel like I prefer more of like the truest fantasy elements more than the romance, and Kenzie's more of the romance girly. Not that I don't love a good romance plot as well, but I loved Throne of Glass because of all like the battle and How things all connected together at the end, and it was just so action packed and exciting. And I think that's why I love this book so, so, so, so much. Yeah, I don't know how I would even think about throwing a glass at him because I'm struggling to get through it. I'm stuck on air and fire. But only because, like Hannah said, I'm like a romance fanatic. And though Fourth Wing, well the Empyrean series is really good, like it could still have a really strong plot without the romance in it. I don't know what it is about Thunderglass, but I can't read it without the romance. I mean, we love the smut, like we love the smut, like it's great when it has a plot. That's why fourth wing is so great because it has a great plot and it's hot as fuck. Like the girls are horny, like it's period, I'm sorry, It's just, I love the smut. I think it's totally fair. A lot of people that are like, it's like book porn or whatever. Your body, your choice for sure. But if you don't want to read that, you don't have to read that. But don't shame me for liking it. The romance and the smut is like one of my favorite. Like I used to write fan fictions smut. Like I'm always here for a good romance. I used to read fan fiction smut when I was probably too young to. I was gonna say, have never seen a dick, was writing really detailed stuff. I love that. That's hilarious, oh my god. Did you ever like go back and read it? At a older age and you're like, Whoa, I've been too scared. I should do that though. That's hilarious. I feel like that would be top tier cringiness in an entertaining way. All right. Next question. What was your first reaction after finishing on a storm and is there any particular moment in the last Epic battle that's really stood out to you? My first reaction was like, what the hell actually just happened? I felt like Violet waking up. Because for me, I sat there for 12 hours and binged it. I felt like Violet at the book waking up and like, what the heck just happened? Like, I don't know what just happened the last past 12 hours. I don't understand. So yeah, that was my initial reaction. I was like, what did I just read? Like, it was so good. And I got to the end. I was like, what the hell? I was not expecting this. Where are my answers? I don't have the answers. yeah, I had the exact same reaction where I just sat the book down, and I just sat there in silence for a second, and I was like, what the actual fuck just happened? And then I was like, hold on, let me just have a moment of like, gratefulness because no one died that I was like, super, super attached to. So I was like, okay. Thank you, Rebecca. I was expecting one of the iron squad to die or like mirror to die, which whew. Thank. I wish she didn't I thought Imogen was toast. I was like, Imogen's fucked. Yeah. Fuck. I would be really sad if she died. I didn't even realize it until Quinn died. I was like, Imogen, no you can't. Right? But honestly, like days later, I feel like I still haven't processed the ending and I definitely need to go back and reread the whole end battle and stuff like that. I feel like the stuff that really stands out to me. so Arc, I can't stop thinking about his signet because wow, that's gonna have so many implications and The fact that Signets develop over time, I'm wondering how powerful his precognition is going to be. And then also, obviously, I'm like, okay. Miss Ma'am is the Duchess of Tyrandor. Okay, what? And then also, I swear to God, Brennan, I do not trust you. That's also one of the biggest things on my mind after the end because I feel like there was a lot of little things in there. I was like, okay, my suspicion continues to build for Brennan. I don't know what you think about Brennan, but I've been talking about him on the podcast where I think he's a traitor or he's lying about something. Yeah, I totally see the case for Brennan being sus. I can't make up my mind about it. I think there are a lot of characters that are, like, somewhat compromised with their loyalties one way or the other. there are very few, like, staunch loyalists who, like, I think Violet's the only one out of all of them that has no desire whatsoever to even think about turning Ben in. She's never even like considered it. Whereas I feel like now that people know it's right there. It's everywhere. Yeah Yeah, definitely. I've actually hopped on the brendan trader train kind of only because finally in the last chapter and darna was like I went out let him burn you and And she was like, why would my brother burn me and I was like Hmm. Kena? Well, also when Sloane was siphoning Dane for Brennan, then Violet remarked, she was like, they don't have scars like Brennan has on his palm from what happened with Naomi. And I was like, okay, suspicious. So I actually have a theory about that. If we could like detour for a second, yes, detour, we're going to detour. Constantly. So just go ahead. Okay. So, I have a lot of theories. one of them being that resurrection is like a key component to the Venom and their strategy. we know Wyvern are created and at the 75 percent 80 percent of the way through Iron Flame, Violet and Mira. with a rune, like, accidentally reanimate a dead wyvern, and then Violet's immediately like, ZAP! And then it's, and like, shoots him in the head immediately, but they're like, oh, holy shit! and so, I think something to do with having a hive mind. and the way that, like, it's discussed how the Venen sages and mavens can, like, control people and their actions, like, control the lower level initiates and stuff. I feel like resurrection runes, I feel like Brennan was saved when Neolin turned Venen to save him, but, In doing that, Naolan, like, did the resurrection rune on him. Like, I think that's how Brennan came back to life. I think that's how Jack Barlow, came back to life. also I think the Venon infantry is, like, collected by resurrected cadets who fall off the parapet. And like all the fallen Dragon Rider cadets are Wyvern Riders and yeah, I've got plans up here. I'm probably completely off, but I, I just feel like there's something like, yeah, I think you're, I think you're onto something because that would give them a reason to. Turn them feeling to cross the parapet and I'll be able to get inside the War College and find a dragon and access that magic. And that produces numbers too, because a lot of them die. Yeah, so I think, like they fall into the ravine, and then their bodies are collected. Resurrected, and then like, conscripted, but you have to have like, their bodies, right? Like, you have to have a part of them, to resurrect them. this is insane of me. According to the Dragonriders Codex, Article 3. Subsection six, addendum B, a writer can only carry to the quadrant that I don't like they can only I don't know the actual words, but it's like anything a writer carries across the parapet is like considered a part of their person, like a part of their body. like that's how Violet gets up a gauntlet and everything. So I'm thinking, in order to resurrect somebody, you have to have a piece of them, but according to the Codex, that could be anything they bring into the quadrant, or fall off the parapet with, and that's why you're supposed to burn all of cadets shit when they die. so that Them and their possessions can't be, used to resurrect them as venom. Girl, I think you're on to something. This, this makes, like, way too much sense and I'm like mad I've never thought about this before. No, for real. No, no, don't be. That's so interesting, I've always had a theory that resurrection was going to be key to curing Zayden. Like, he was going to have to die and be resurrected to get his soul back. But now after reading Onyx Storm, I'm kind of thinking, Kenzie sent me a picture too, like he could be dedicated to one of the gods to like restore his soul and so now I'm thinking that's the way to cure him but I still think resurrection is going to play a part in the story I feel like it's been hinted at so many times like Brennan was resurrected, Jack Barlow is resurrected, it makes a lot of sense that it would be connected to the Venon in that way, so I like that theory, I like it a lot. That's my theory. Also, we went to a bunch of islands that were named after gods, and we never went to Malak Island, did we? No, but there's the Bay of Malak on the map, it's right next to the Barrens. Okay, suspicious. Interesting. It's right next to the barons, huh? Like where all the venom drained the land, so I don't know. Okay, I do have a moment that, like, stood out to me, and that was Sigele swooping in and saving Violet at, like, the end, like, picking her up. Yes. Like, Segale and Violet only interact when it's necessary, but they ride for each other so fucking hard. I love it. They're just there. They're just there. I was so sad we didn't get to see more of like, Segale's voice lines in this book, cause that's something we got a little more of in Iron Flame, and I just loved her so much, I mean, she was there, but we didn't really get their interactions. She's not speaking to anyone. Yeah. Neither is Indarna. Silent treatment. Well, Sagal is low key salty, so I'm not surprised she wasn't a big part of this book, because her and Zayden were kind of like in outs about the whole Benning thing. They've been beefing the whole, the whole book. Like, Sagal wasn't even talking to him. I think it's more of Zayden and his pride, though. I think it's cuz like he hurt her. aside from him putting Violet before himself and always wanting to save Violet, it's always been Sigil's second. Like, he's always in battle. You've seen him, like, how tormented he is if she gets hurt, and how he, like, changes his course to save his dragon. So, we know that Zayden, Like he loves very hard and he always feels guilt like if he does something like that, affects Violet. And I think that he felt the same way throughout this book when he turned Benin and Seguil kind of, I don't know. I know that there was a shift and I think that he felt like he hurt Seguil and I think that's probably why he was holding back on their bond because he felt regret and guilt for. That's very Zayden too. I'm sure you're mad at me. I'll make myself scarce. Seriously. They're a beef. This whole book made their conversation at the end, like before we get to the 12 hours of who knows what happened. Oh my God. It was so confusing, like even more confusing because like they've been beefing and now they're having this conversation. I was just like, what is happening? Like, does he get to like him again? Like what does, what does she say? At the very, very end. Yeah. Yeah, that's like, it's after the battle. after he goes full Venom. Yeah. Yeah. Well, she's like, what is there left of you to forsake? And he lets her in his brain and he's like, you tell me, and then she's like, you cannot mean to, and he cuts him off and says, you saw what happened. It's the only way. And so I'm like, what, what is, what is happening here? I don't know. I think it's, you cannot mean to. marry her to keep this bullshit legitimate, like, that's what you're going to do right now. Like go get married to Violet right now. Maybe. she's like, Violet's not going to say yes, you crazy bitch. So I actually saw a theory. I went immediately to TikTok after I finished the book. I had to find out who it is. We put it in the description, but, she was saying that she thinks that Zayden asked Sigal to sever the main bond between her and Taryn because he had to run away. And. It wasn't going to be possible if they were linked to each other because they were going to try to kill Zayden because everybody knows that he's been in now because of him literally wielding dark magic on the battlefield. So he had to leave and they will only suffer him and his dragon and her will only suffer if. They were tethered to each other. And so he married her to leave her Taron door and Segil might have severed the main bond between her and Taron. And that's why Taron was in such a deep sleep at the book. Cause he was still recovering from the bond. Oh, cause he's, cause he's recovering. That's what I saw. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I feel like Taryn would never, but why does that make sense? It does. Because if he leaves to go do whatever he's doing, him and Sigail can't be apart that long. And also Violet and Zayden are tailored to each other. So without that maiden blood, I don't think they can be connected. So I think he only did what's necessary. What is her name? God, I was thinking he was going to leave Sigail behind. If he takes her with her, that would make sense. no novels with Anna is her name, Wow, that's a lot to process. that's very wise of them. Yeah. very wise. It would be most wise of them to have done that. Cause at the end she's reaching for him and she said like there was nothing when she reached for Zayden. And I don't think it's because he was vending. I think it's cause he was gone. But I think like mating bonds, that shit is like, that goes beyond magic. Like that can't, that can't be severed. that's the course of how things go, like, you can't do that. I also think that when, Segueo asked Zayden, do you think she'll help, I think she was talking about Andarna, because Andarna has a way with severing bonds, and we learned that when she left. Um, erasure. Oh my god, Mackenzie! Woohoo! So I think that they were talking about Andarna in that scene. She's so cute. But like, can she put it back though? I think she can because she came back. Let's hope and pray. I don't like that that information is in my brain. I know, it makes too much sense. And we know, and it's gonna be okay. That's the other thing. Like, it's gonna be okay. It's not gonna look like how we thought it was gonna look. But if we stay true to ourselves and follow our hearts, like, we can save the continent, guys. Yes. Save Amoralis, what is it called? First things first, Amoralis. I love that. I love that. Cause that's gonna definitely help me remember that. I'm dead. that popped into my brain and hasn't left. I need to like make a TikTok about it or something. We'll repost it immediately. Okay. Let's move on to the next question. Who was your favorite character to follow in this book and why? Maddie, do you want to kick us off on this question? This is Riddick's book, no question. Yes. This is Riddick's book. For sure. For sure. Is that what you all said? Yeah. we're we're there with you. A hundred percent agree. Yeah. he carried this book. I laughed out loud when he was like, I want a fucking patch for this shit. Viol? Yes, yes. He's like, you hear me? Please be cool and keep all the secrets. And he's like, you like, I'd rather get a patch for this. Yes. I think we should all refer to Riddick now as Riddick Riz Master. Yes. Riddick Riz Master. Love that. Yes. For sure. He had insane game with that, flyer. Oh my god. Like a thing I fuck like a third year or something like that. I was like, okay. I, went to see Rebecca Yaros do the Onyx Storm tour, in New York last night. So I'm like fresh off of that. And, someone asked like, what's your favorite, Riddick moment, like throughout the whole series. what's the funniest thing he's ever done for you? And she was like, Oh, I've had. I don't do second years. Good thing I fuck like a third. She's like, I've had that in my mind since like the beginning. Oh my God. She finally deployed it and it hit. Oh my gosh. Was it so amazing to see her live? she's just a genius. And, seems just like a kind person. I just think the world she built in the community she's built is, huge. And she talked a lot about how it's like overwhelming, but, Oh man. Never have I ever been happier. I went by myself straight up when I was in the sixth row. It was really cool. I agree with you. Riddick, the Riz Master, as Kana says, I know that Riddick was one of Kana's favorite characters last book, and I think he was a little bit lower on my list than Kana's, but this book, he crawled his way up there. And I love that he was like such a main character in this book. And he was with Violet. the whole way because his, comedic additions were like needed. I love this scene when they're in the kitchen and the cook tries to stab him in the side and he's just like, loses his cool. Jacket and I'm going to put my West patch on it. I feel like. All of the Iron Squad is gonna make it to graduation. And then one of them is gonna die. Or like, one of them is gonna die right before graduation. that's what I'm expecting from this bitch, Rebecca Yaros. That's true. I mean, after what she did with Liam, we really can't trust her, so. Oh, oh, fun facts about Liam from, last night. his name originally was gonna be, Leith, like Keith with an L. No, I'm glad it was Liam. I'm glad it was Liam. Yo, that's terrible. she said in the whole audience was like, Oh, she was like, Oh, it's like my bad. He's supposed to be so hot. It's like Lee, like honestly, I feel like if we did not have Liam in our minds, we probably would have still found it hot. I would have still found him super hot. Yeah, we definitely would have gotten over it. But it's weird. Yeah, very weird. my favorite character to follow was obviously Riddick. So I think we're all agreed here, but I do want to give Violet a moment because wow, she was just going to these aisles, just fucking shit up, like taking everybody down and all the battle scenes. She was so much more confident than she has been in the past. And I loved seeing all of her skills develop and come into play. And. How she like stood up to Colonel Ato well, General Atos. Eugh. I hate you. But she was such a badass in this book. So other than Riddick, she was definitely my favorite character to follow. Yeah, she was lethal. I was actually scared. I was like, who is she? I literally don't have words for the character of Violet. I don't know. she's too relatable. she's too aspirational. She's too like, wow. that's how I feel like I would handle myself in a crisis. Like I show up to the war scene, I'm not surviving hand to hand combat, like, no. Honestly though. But like, wait, I can just like think my way around it, like, I might stand a chance. she's real for that. I think that it's cool that, throughout this whole series, everybody has always tethered her with Zayden. And they've always put their secrets together and talked about how they're the most powerful together. But I like how this book, she kind of proved that she doesn't need Zayden to be as powerful as she is and that she's her own like person and she can be just as powerful without him. Because a lot of the times Zayden wasn't there to save her or she had to talk Zayden down from certain things, which I'll talk about that later. And she was able to take the light. I feel like that was really cool that she got to sit on her own and have her own voice this book. Yeah, yeah, she definitely is like you were saying, so relatable. I feel like I read a bunch of other fantasy books in between Empyrean and I'm like, Oh my gosh, I love this FMC. She's so cool. And then I come back to Violet and I'm like, Oh my God, why are you my favorite? She's hilarious. She is. And she's so like unflappable, like she's indestructible, like, Change her mind. You can't unless you have factual information, evidence, and a good vibe. she's the best. She's the one. She represents all of us nerd girlies. She represents us well because she was a bookworm. She is a bookworm and she also got there and bonded the dragon. Two dragons. Period. Yes. Yeah. Did y'all read the dedication at the very beginning? Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yes. I love it. It's like exactly like what you just said. It's To the ones that don't run with the popular crowd, the ones who get caught reading under their desks, the ones who feel like they never get invited, included, or represented, get your lathers. We have dragons to ride. Yes, I love it. Oh my gosh. I teared up and then I was like, cool, time to start reading this book. That's my exact reaction. I was like, oh my god, so sweet. Okay, let's get to it. All right, so since we get to travel to So many new places in Onyx Storm. What aspects of the new world building intrigued you the most? And if you could visit any of the Isle kingdoms, which one would you go to? And I know for me, I want to go to the Zinal Island. Don't even remember what it was called because I want to take my chances at getting a broccoli. The claw! I will risk the arrow to get the claw. I was like, what if you get the arrow to the heart and don't even get the cat? I mean, with my luck, that would probably happen. But anyways, I just love cats. But then you're dead and you don't care. At least I tried. Yeah. On a real note, I probably wouldn't go there if I'm being realistic, but I do love cats. I think Devarelli was really like the aesthetics of it when they got to like go and explore and like the waters were like a turquoise blue. I was just like eating that shit up when she was describing what it was like, so I would probably want to visit there. But I loved all the new world buildings. So cool. That was my answer to Deverelli sounds banging. She talked last night about how it's based off of the Turks and Caicos. Like she like went there in between. writing, Onyx Storm and Iron Flame to like reset herself and like actually take time off and she like, it's the best. And I'm like, yeah, it shows. Now I need to go to Turks and Caicos. Yeah. But, Davarelli sounds like the place to be because also I know. We're supposed to hate them, but the white panthers? I mean, that's a cat. The way I want them? what I wouldn't give to be like lounging on a throne in the open beach and then just be like, oh, my kitties. Talk about aura. the head was a lot. Oh my gosh, the scene where they're with Zayden's mom and like, they bring the food out on the same kind of platter. It's like, please don't be a hit. Please don't be a hit. Please don't be a hit. PTSD. What about you, Kenzie? I think my favorite place was, I forgot what it's called already, but where, Zayden's mom was, where is it called? I think I just had the most fun there. I loved all the tea, all the drama. I'm very toxic. I love that his mom was there and I like her just having a whole new family. And the whole time I was just talking shit about her in my head the whole time, because I listened to some of the book and I was like going back and forth today and I was listening to it. And Violet was like, And Zeddine was like, you would want me to go talk to her. I was like, no, fuck her. Like she, she left you and she started a family. And I was just like going off and Violet showed her true, like strength that scene when she poisoned them. I was like, Oh my God. That was crazy. That was crazy. She said uno reverse. That was so fun Marie. That was so fun. I loved it. I know. I love her. and fuck Talia. She was trying to like, make excuses. I was like, girl, don't even. Upsetting. He's like, but you left me, and she's like, I didn't have a choice. I'm like, You did. You left her son. Yeah, you did. Yes, you literally did. you're leaving Navarre, anyway. Take the kid. Commit treason. Oh well. Right. I was actually really happy when she came on the page because it validated me because I had a theory that they were going to go to the Isle of Kingdoms and find his mom. And I was like, oh my god, I was right! And then I was like, oh shit, this is going to be really bad. How about him, his favorite food still being chocolate cake. I know. And it being the last thing she serves him. He was about to eat it too. He was about to eat it. She left him on his Birthday? Wait, that was so ironic. Can you pick a worse time to leave? Violet also ate in that scene. She's like, don't eat the cake. I laughed out loud when she was like, Din, don't. Like, Riddick, don't. Mira, don't. And she's like, cool. And Garak's like, this is so good. Oh my god, this is good. Just stay home. I'm like, why couldn't Dane eat the cake though? I'm not team Dane, but I'm not team fuck Dane anymore. Kenzie. I've like forgiven him. I think he's on a redemption arc, especially after reading everything in this book. I'm like, alright, we're cool again. Can I tell you guys something? Everything pissed me off. I actually forgave him this book. I think I'm growing. I don't want to talk about it. This is, this is much. That is a lot for me. That is as much of an admission as you guys are going to get. Okay, moving on. I'm not talking about him anymore. that's entirely valid. I feel like Dane is like one of those characters that he like isn't evil because like the second he learned the truth, he stabbed Varys about it. Yeah. Like he fully switched sides and went full rebel, traitor, murderer, because the whole time it's just been propaganda, propaganda, and like, we have to forgive Dane, cause that's how we forgive Violet, I just recorded chapter 21 where Liam is telling her like, Hey, both of my parents were executed by the state at your mother's command. And she's like, that is not what the library said. So don't tell me because you were there. You should know you were a witness. And then it's like, Girl, reading that out loud. it was really difficult. Cause I was like, it's a bad look for our girl. she's like, Oh my God, did you just call it the apostasy? Like, we have to forgive Dane because like, Violet's much the same. As soon as she learned the truth, she was like, well, that changes things. Yeah. And Dane was just, he needed to be deprogrammed a little bit more. Dane hurt me a lot though. It took a while for that to sink in. So like the only thing that really made it shift for me was when his father, Disowned him so I don't know if you know this Maddie But my favorite favorite like childhood movie was how to train a dragon I love how to train a dragon and even to this day when I watch that movie and his father just owns him I bawl my eyes out every single time never fails. And so that just brought back like that feeling I had But how to train a dragon when his father is like, I don't have a son. I was like, Oh, I kind of feel bad for you now. Like you're an orphan. Yeah. Fuck. Okay, next question. What was the most heart wrenching moment of the book for you? I know for me, it was probably when Andarna left. That's when I actually cried the hardest, because Her bond with Violet has been so, like, cool to watch them grow together, and I feel like they understand each other in a way that Taryn maybe doesn't, and I was like, holy crap, I went back and read that chapter again, I was like, there's no way, like, she wouldn't leave Violet, without saying goodbye, too! Right. Like, she's like, I wouldn't know how to No! And then she's like, that's a dragon noise, by the way. That was really good. You should make the dragon noises for your audiobook, because that was amazing. Yeah, for sure. So that, and then when Mira got her throat slit and I was pretty sure she was gonna die, I also started bawling again, but thankfully our girl's alive. That was intense. What about you, Kenz? I feel like it might be also Andorna's scene. Like, just the struggle that she went through, because you can see how bad she really wanted it. But like how it would kill her to leave Violet. But I don't know. I was kind of questioning Andorna's, I'm not gonna say loyalty, but I was kind of questioning how far her curiosity would run throughout the whole book. They're trying to find her then, but it's like what all can they learn with EDA being wet ball the whole time and they have to go back to a ratio or basca. So I kind of figured maybe they had to be separated at some point, but like seeing her internal turmoil throughout the whole thing and I don't know. That was one of the scenes I remember like just bawling my eyes out. I was like, oh my God. And Violet's depression after just made me like continue crying. Yeah, what about you, Maddie? I'm very much the same. I cried the most when Nendarna left. especially because they didn't get to say goodbye. I'm not doing a Dragon Rose again. But, like, we, like, like, we roared and then just flew away. Like, there wasn't even, like, a last, I don't know. And obviously, there's no way she's gone forever. But like, it felt like she was gone forever. And I thought we weren't going to see her until book four. It was, oh, that would have sucked. I'm glad that she came back in the nick of time, to crush it in the 11th hour. and I also really, really was. Heart wrenching moment for me. I didn't even like really give a shit about Quinn and wept. Yeah, it was brutal. I just cried for Imogen because that was like her one like really tight girlfriend. And I loved Imogen's POV. It was so like take no shit like badass bitch. She was so cool. That scene with her and Dane like running together. I don't know why that stuck out to me, but I was like, wow, Imogen and Jane are on like the opposite ends of the spectrum in the beginning of the first book. And like, now they're running side by side as allies. And she's like, hope he makes it like growth. For both of them, for both of them. Cause Dane was such a like relic hater. I do remember the other thing that I bawled my eyes out, Kayla, I was trying to figure this out earlier. It was like way in the beginning when Violet first meets, Theophany, or however you say her name. And I thought that Terran was gonna die. Because he, the tornado. And he like went unconscious. And she was like, I can't feel him. And I just started bawling. Like I was like, I know why he's dead, but I'm like crying anyways. Cause no way this is gonna happen. My stomach dropped. I was like, what the fuck? And Darna being like, I can't feel him. I was like, that's a wrap. I was like, you're lying. You're lying. What's going on? No. I was like, no way. Rebecca has the audacity to kill our favorite dragon. Like not even a hundred pages. Absolutely not. Violet's like, are you okay? I was like, I still breathe. He was so arrogant about the whole thing. Like he didn't just get knocked out. Like he didn't just get knocked out. He's like, yeah, I'm fine. What do you mean? I'm Taryn. What do you mean am I fine? The amount of times where he was trying to recite his whole family line in violence, just like, yeah, okay, I get it. He's like, I've heard this before. He's like, we are the most cunning, the most splendiferous. Like just starts pontificating and she's like, literally shields him out. Okay, were there any elements of the story that were totally unexpected out of left field for you? Maddie, do you want to start us off on this question? yeah. There's a couple things the main thing being that it's Bridgerton now and like I'm kind of obsessed with it I was not expecting us to go into like dukedoms and secret marriages and heirs and I knew there was like kind of some of that energy and iron flame with cat and like the the Tyr and Dora lions with peromeo like I feel like there's a lot of really fun, hot, sexy stuff in coming Bridgerton style. Cause like, another thing is I think our girl, Violet is pregnant. Yes, girl. Yes. I saw a theory on Tik TOK and I was like, Oh my God. Well, Yeah, it's like, they went to Devarelli and they're like, no magic works here, so we can fuck here. And I'm like, then your magical birth control doesn't fucking work there. Yeah. We're not even going to consider this. Didn't really think that out. Freaking Dawn Isle Esme asked. I think the same because the whole book they were talking about heirs and leaving a legacy and the whole scene where they're like with his mom and she's like oh y'all can just break up for three years and you and Kat can get together y'all can have an heir to the throne that was And that was wild. Yeah, and then y'all can get back together afterwards. because he's been trying to leave the throne to Bodhi if he dies, but Bodhi doesn't want that role. they're gonna have a baby. I think so., I think Arik like pre cogged that Violet was pregnant with the heir to the Tyrish throne and was like, Hey, Violet and Zayden, I know Zayden you're about to fuck off or something, but if y'all get married right now, like that heir is legitimate. Like, you don't know you're pregnant? Because it's been like literally three weeks since Deverelli or something like that. So like she wouldn't have even started showing symptoms or anything. Yeah. And I don't know. I just, I got a vibe. Dude, I want to know when Arik actually did manifest to Signet, because he really didn't tell anybody.

Kaina G: 41:38

He was just like, here is a super cryptic letter at the worst time possible I'm like, how long have you been seeing the future, my dude? I think he could see the future when he pulled Violet through the wards in the archives. Like, he knew the royal wards, weren't gonna hurt her. Like, cause Zayden says something like, like, you, like, you better have been sure, 100 percent sure about that. And he was like, yeah, sure, whatever. Like, I had a good feeling. Oh my gosh. That's crazy. But actually, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah. I love all these theories. Oh my gosh, right? Oh yeah. they're still coming. the most unexpected part to me was her second signe, but that's because I had put all of my eggs into the basket that she was a truths sayer. I totally convinced myself, and we did a whole episode. Talking about what we thought her second segment was. like, Shirley, it's got to be one of the six we talked about. And then I was like, a freaking dreamwalker. Like I've never once. I don't know if it's considered that possibility, but I do think it's really cool. But I was also just like, what? We were pretty close though. We did think she would be a type of Intinsic, but we were guessing the wrong type of Intinsic. But I mean, we were, we were on the right path. Like you, like Maddie was saying earlier, like we had all these theories and like, Rebecca was like, yeah, you're kind of close, but it's really this, like it was so many possibilities. But yeah, I think for me, the most unexpected was having Zayden here, like the whole book. I just, like. Yeah, Kane and I predicted that he wouldn't be a big part of this book and he would be like distance, distance, distancing. I can't say this word. Why? Yes, you can. I believe. Distance. Distancing himself. Yes. From Violet because of all his guilt like he did with Seguil. So I was shocked that he was here. I fear that's going to be book four. But like, once again, I thought he was going to Edward Cullen and like, get out of there. I thought book three was going to be like the search for Zayden. And book four might just be the search for Zayden. Yeah. I also want to know how much of Imogen, like how much of Violet's memory Imogen has been taking. I want to know. If Imogen has ever figured out Zayden's second signet by accident and then like deleted her own memories. Not that that would even add anything to the plot. I'm just curious if that ever happened. She's gotta have been erasing someone's memories. But definitely who and why? Yeah. Oh my gosh. Okay. Next question. So what did we think of Zayden and Violet's relationship development through the end of Onyx Storm? I want to go first. I had been predicting that this would lead to their breakup and I guess they're broken up, but like, they're also married. So I didn't see that coming. I'm not really super mad about it. Cause I've been saying the relationship is Loki toxic and I think she needs time and like emotional space, like apart from Zayden to process, like. All the emotional trauma she's been going through. Like, in her internal monologue, she didn't really get a chance to grieve her mom's death. I think like in the first few chapters, she was saying like. How much it was weighing on her. And then like through the rest of the book, it's just so action packed that like, she does not have the time to process it. And she was so focused on saving Zayden. She was just putting everything to the side. So I'm like, honestly, this may not be the worst thing that he's missing, but I will say villain Zayden, jealous Zayden was super hot, but also I'm not upset about where the relationship ended. Yeah, me neither. I also don't think the relationship is over. Like, I don't think it's ever been over. I don't think it will be over. Violet's like, yeah, we're broken up. He's a professor and that's against the rules. And Zayden's like, we're fucking, no, we're not. We're end game. We're literally soul bonded. Like, shut the fuck up. We're not broken up. I mean, I feel like their end game, no question. Like they're fucking married and they've been emotionally married since threshing. So like it's been an arranged marriage the whole time. But I mean, Zayden Ryerson, I feel like that man actually has a death wish. Because like he felt so unwanted by his mom and his asshole dad, I guess it sounds like Ben Ryerson was like a little bit of a jerk and literally everyone and everything in his life was like suggesting that he should just disappear and fuck off into the shadows and the darkness and like you're and never show up anywhere ever again and you're telling me. The single tether to his humanity, the invisible string, I say, is love for Violet. Yes. Because being down bad is the cure, y'all. Like, love is the cure. Like, the answer to the riddle is love through love all is possible. like, Zayden and Violet are never breaking up. And I feel like if anything, at the end of this book, like literally he turned Ben in and she was like, Loki, that's kind of convenient. I'm a use it like she woke up married to Zeta. Then there's no way he married her without her willing consent. So like Violet's down for whatever plan this is, they are on the same page, no matter what. Yeah. Yeah. They'll come back together for sure. They're end game. They gotta be, I just hope they're alive when we reach the end. Oh yeah. I think they also have some kind of like faded, like maybe they were dedicated to each other when she was baptized at Dune land. I feel like there's some kind of plan, like a prophecy faith based at work. that connects them, like even outside of their dragons. I think they're just that hot together. Loki, they did voice. That riddle prophecy thing throughout the book saying like whatever heart beats for her. I don't remember the exact word in, but like they low key already have a prophecy. So I do think that that would happen, yeah, I agree. I don't know. I don't know how I feel about the ending and their relationship. I know they're not gonna break up. I know that they're like Forever together, whatever. you can also think that I know I say that with a lot of confidence But I don't know what the fuck i'm talking about We're just delusional together. Yeah. No, i'm like, there's no way jack barlow's coming back to life Yeah, well Yeah, I don't know I feel like i'm a toxic girly and I loved how toxic they were you're a Damon Salvatore girl, aren't you? Yes, yes. This is because this is low key Damon and Elena. Damon would do anything. That's his one, like you said, invisible string to humanity. Literally, like, Damon. Yeah, it's her, it's her. And her being like, love you, babe. Like, see you when you get back. And he's like, I'm the core of the earth. Yeah. So I don't know. I just love their relationship. I love how possessive Zayden is like over her, like the whole, like Halden reveal. I was like, what the heck? And like his jealousy. I was like, Oh, this is, this is, I love this because we got the whole cat. And Zayden, beef last book. And so now he got the, roles reversed on him. It's just like, that was cool. Yeah. It was pretty yummy to read. I loved the part, Zayden says something where like Riddick is, they're fighting and then like Violet, like, strikes lightning and they like, get back down and Riddick's like, Hey, just so you know, like, we weren't like fucking or anything. Like that lightning strike was just cause we were arguing. and Zayden was like, Obviously, because one, like, Violet's mine, and two, it wasn't a big enough strike. Look, Aaron gets on this bed, it's so cute. I love when he loses his control for her. Oh yeah. So does she. So don't we, so do we all. I just had an idea. You saying like about her hair, because now we know her hair has something to do with the prophecy on Duneland. What is it called? Unbrio, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sounds like a Pokemon. she has that, like the prophecy there and his, that is why her hair is that way. And he's like always specifically been attracted to her hair. So I wonder if there's some kind of like parallel counterpart. To that. I don't know. I like that a lot. She's dedicated to the god of love and she's dedicated to the god of war and all is fair in love and war. Ooh, and they did say that. They said that in one of the sub, one of the sub chapters, they said war and love can alter a soul irrevocably. dude. What? So it says, while most deities allow temple attendants to choose their timeline of service only to require a lifetime of dedication, Dune and Loyal, however you say that one, for both war and love change souls irrevocably. Period. Oh my god, Maddie, you just did something, girl. You just did something, you just did something. I'm Violet. I look at the facts and I'm like, these are the facts. To add on to that zayden did state that Dune owed him a favor., I think that's how he was able to marry Violet. with so much of his soul being, gone, a favor was owed to him because he was telling us a girl like, Oh, they, she owed me a favor. Did we just figure this shit out? Oh my god, I'm actually like, geeking out right now. This is crazy. I'm obsessed with this. I got chills. This is great, girl. Me too! Oh my god. I do love that We're veering into like prophecy territory and like the gods are major players now because I feel like that had been building up but I wasn't really sure if it was going to go there because we've been talking about how she was connected to Malik or at least we thought so. And now it looks like we're maybe right, but I do love where the story is heading in terms of like the prophecy timeline and all that. It's really cool. Yeah, me too. it's elevating it to like high fantasy. It feels like, yes, yes. I will say, Kena, I thought about you a lot while reading this book because so many of your theories, I was like, oh, she's on the right track because when they were like, Vi was almost dedicated or she was touched by Dune. I know you were saying you thought she was touched by Malak. And I was like, this is so close to what Kayla was thinking, like the connection with the gods. I've like literally made a one flag on here for just predictions that we had. And a lot of them were like predictions that you had before we even started the book. And I was like, bro, she was. She was going on the right path, for sure. Aww, thank you. When I read about Dune, I was like, what? I was like, I thought it was Malak. But you were close! And then later I was like, okay, I think it's still Malak. Do you not yearn for Temple? Like I'm dead. Okay, let's get into our initial predictions. So based off of what we just read this week What do we think is going to happen in books four and five? I do think that we're going to learn more about Andarna's kind and Feather Tales and how they relate to the Venon specifically because the Theophany, Theo, I don't know. I go with Theophany cause it's like, it's like Stephanie, but it also sounds like. Mythological. Sorry, with Theophany. Yeah. Theophany. Because she was so, intrigued by Andarna and was saying, like, you don't know what a prize you have. And I also think Andarna's magic is probably, it's different because they were still able to communicate on, like, magicless land and she was still able to wield and I think that's because of Andarna's magic, it's magic outside of magic. Something like that. So I still think that's going to be a major player in how they defeat the Venon. And, like we were just talking about, I think that she's also touched by Malak or connected to Malak, and we're going to probably see that in book four, but I'm not really sure. And then I am also still convinced that Brennan's going to be revealed as a traitor and that the Sage is probably Naolan. I'm still on that boat. So, those are my initial predictions. I haven't really thought that much far ahead. I've just been trying to think about what the heck just happened. Yeah. I think, I think those are definitely all answers we, like, better get, like, but at the same time, it's possible we might not even know stuff, like, until, like, the very, very end, like, it might be a reveal that way, and that's really scary. Is this, isn't the sage named Berwyn? Like that specific sage is like Jack's sage and Zayden's sage. Yeah, and that's also the one that has a son who we don't know who it is. okay, I have a theory. Let me find, okay. So. I'm like, should we be concerned about Arik being the one who turned at the end? it seems like there's someone else with him. And like, originally I was like, oh, it's Garek because he was going to burn out, Distance wielding back and forth so many times that he's like, gonna pull from the source or it's Bodhi because he does everything Zayden does and the whole time has been like, I'm coming along and Zayden's like, no, you're literally the heir to the throne. And I think, like, it's also possible that Arik precogs that Bodhi was going to turn Venon at the end, therefore would not be. Suitable for the throne to Tirandor like therefore Violet is the backup like violets holding a seat for now through marriage but I think our return because he was flying south at the beginning of the battle and Zayden's chapter starts with them saying they're in a canyon South of Drapheus. So like it's placing them similarly on the map. he is a precog. So he likely knew Zayden was Venon the entire time and like never revealed that to anybody, which I think is kind of sus. not to mention like Zayden hates his brothers, like his mom's new family. Arik hates his older brothers. Zayden killed one of, Rx older brothers during threshing, and he's like, oh, I'm supposed to consider this guy a brother now. I'm like, yes. Enemies to Brothers Ark. Incoming like enemies to brothers. Yeah. I mean, I don't know. that's what I think because Ark, has to rule. He said, I don't wanna rule too many times to not rule. True. That's really interesting. I hadn't thought about that. I feel like I'm sure it's Bodhi. I think that Garak, because I think we find out at the end that there's missing dragon eggs, and I think that Auric told, or went to get them, or whatever, and then he has Garak take them to Umbriel because he can distance wield. And then I was like, okay, well that leaves Bodhi, but then also, like, Where's Arik at? And you're right, he was flying south. So that's suspicious. Very suspicious of you, Arik. It's also going to be like, book four picks up and Arik isn't going to come back around until halfway through the book. And he's going to be like, Hey guys. And I'm like, Arik, there you are! It's like, I'm sorry. I had a lot of tasks because I can see the future. I love how at the end he was just like, I can see the future. I'm just going to go do all this stuff for you guys and not tell anyone about it. Yeah. Oh my god. Go Aelin with him. Ugh. My goodness. My friend Emily helped me come up with that theory, so shout out Emily. Nice. Do you have any predictions since you just finished? I did, but I got so deep into y'all, so I like, my mind is like blank now. I can't think of anything else. Oh my gosh. Well, I feel like we did talk about predictions kind of along the way too, so. Yeah. I think that, um, the sage might be, I don't, I don't know if he's going to be no Ellen. No, yeah, no Ellen or not, but I feel like it's going to be somebody that we are super familiar with. Cause I was texting Kana earlier while I was reading the book and I was like, dude, like. Obviously, and this kind of goes along with what you were talking about too earlier, Maddie, obviously the Venon are either recruiting riders or like this is a common pattern. A lot of riders are becoming Venon because they can, they're, they're wielding power. So I don't know. Well, remember I was telling you earlier, Kena, I feel like the original six probably never died and they all, like, went Venom, because I was just about to remind you. Yeah, I feel like they all went Venom. Because yeah, they don't age so much. Talk about yes, they don't age. So it's like they don't, if they are not killed, they don't die. And it's the simple fact that they were supposedly defeated 600 years ago, but they're back. So meaning they might have never even been defeated in the first place. They were just hiding. So it's like, where were they all these years and why they choose now to come back? That would be so wild if we actually got to like meet one of the first six in the story, like as a Venon. What if, what if Theophany was one of the first six? I think she was, because she was. What if she was Lyra and she changed her name? Maybe. So throughout this whole series, they were talking about how like the most powerful six, hadn't lived together in one generation and centuries. And we know that magic wants to balance and the reason why we had the shadow welder and we had the lightning, well, little Sorengill was to balance the power of those who turned Venon. So I think maybe the first six. And that's why we have all these powerful sickness that are coming along because they're the balance to the magic. I don't think that the first six are dead. Also, maybe they might be bending. I don't think that the venom were ever defeated. During the great war. I think that, I doubt it. Somebody had to, had to have like escaped and went in hiding and they just thought that they were defeated. Wild. I wonder if there's like someone above, like even the mavens, that's like the leader of the Benin who maybe would be like one of the first six. Back in the day, that was general Daramore, but. Yeah, and we never know. Well, like, I'm assuming it's Venom, but we don't know. Yeah, we didn't talk about him at all in Onyx Storm. Yeah. And like, we don't, we literally don't know shit about the Venom. So, like I was really hoping her dad's research would have more. Like, it was very good, and Got us some answers, but I was hoping it would be more of like a historical to like talking about whatever leading her to the weapon that defeated the Venom so many years ago. But we're just gonna have to wait another book. Yeah, it's fine. Okay, well, now that we have crossed the parapet gotten to all the good Onyx Storm stuff, we're gonna head to the flight field and we're gonna give Maddie a spotlight to tell us about your audio book. I forgot about this part. Yes. Surprise. We have some questions for you. What motivated you to remake the audiobooks for Onyx Storm and was there any specific aspects of the original audiobook that you wanted to approach differently? So, yeah, it was less I want to make an audiobook and more I'm gonna force everyone I know to Call me Violet and play Fortwin with me, like, my brain cannot stop being like POV, you're Violet Sorengale. And I'm like, guess this is my personality now. I just make it in my free time chapter by chapter. and I also, I'm obsessed with the graphic audio and I'm friends with Kaya and Gabriel who voice, Violet and Zayden. Like they're incredible. They're inspiring. Like the last thing I want to do is like come for their gig because like, I want to make Maddie's version, like. Specifically for the fandom best of both worlds by Hannah Montana is sung by Jack Barlow because he says in the text, the word best of both worlds. So I just like had my buddy Ariane who's voicing Jack. I was like, Hey, so for this, can you like sing the Hannah Montana thing and like laugh a little? And he was just like, yeah, now that's in there. That's an example. it's more like. Star kid vibes, and it's free. So like every other one you have to like pay for, but I'm just putting it on YouTube. and it's also like the main point of it is it's a proof of concept basically. because I really, really, really want to work on the fourth wing TV show. with Moer, Wally Beckett, the showrunner. Oh my Gods. I'm like, I like wield me. However you see fit I'm like, I'll be, I'll produce, I will read for any character. I just want an audience with Rebecca Yaros and Moer Wally Beckett. So I can just be like, Hey, I am bringing this world to life'cause it's the only thing I can do about it. Like, and I feel like I. Get it. plus I've worked in sci fi and fantasy TV for like almost 10 years now. I have the qualifications. and I'm like nerdy and good enough and like smart enough for it. So if you're building a production, this is from the POV of a fan and it's almost exactly off the page. So like the adaptation, like I'm trying to like set a bar, I guess. Yes. Dude, I want you to be on that TV show so bad. I've been hearing the casting rumors, but oh my gosh, like, can they cast you as Violet? Really? I mean, I'm like, oh my God, please. I'm obsessed with how you voice her in your audiobooks. it sounds more like Violet to me than even like the dramatized one. But, oh my gosh. It's because it's That's so cool. It's because I put it into my own words. we just posted chapter 21, I basically like record the whole thing and then like end up rewriting the chapter almost. But like also reading something and listening to it slash saying it out loud has had like totally different energy like, when Violet's like in the text, I think she says, how can you do this? Like, protect someone whose mother oversaw the wing that captured yours when she's talking to Liam and I'm like, that's a mouthful and yes, it's a true fact that it's exposition, but it's like, that's not how people talk. but like, that's necessary on the page. So, like, what I ended up changing it to is like, how are you doing this? My mom is responsible for all of that. Because it just like brings it into our realm a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. You did a really good job with that. Thanks dude. I work really fucking hard on it and no one is paying me. And it's literally just me, and then my friends from acting school and Dungeons and Dragons. And my, like, family. Dungeons and Dragons! We've been saying we need to start playing Dungeons and Dragons. Because I feel like we've hit that level of nerdiness where it's just time. D& D is great. It's just wish fulfillment. It's just fun. It's literally just fun. It's, it has a huge, like, barrier to entry and can seem really intimidating. It seems like it's hard to get into, but it's delightful. Y'all would be great at it. Thanks. I love the fact that, so the first time that I saw your YouTube, I love that it says, Like you don't get paid for it. And I'm like, that's really cool that you're doing something that you love. Like she's doing it for the fans. I feel like you have like the same common goal as us. Like, we just want to build a community on our podcast. We want people to relate to us and we want to talk about books and be nerds. And show people that it's okay to be nerds and that you have a community and I feel like you do the same thing. You're like, we like this book, like, listen to this sick ass Dramatized audiobook version, Maddie's version, and like we can all just, we can just hang together and just, you know, have fun, you know? All nerds. Stop that one. The comment section is always good. No, yeah, it's like by A fan slash fans, like everyone in the cast has read the book also and like is obsessed with it. So it's Rebecca Yaros story, Maddie's storytelling and your imagination. you can still see it as whatever you want to see it as. Like the point is there. Passion and celebration. It's a love letter to the series because I truly like, I can't do anything else. like I finished iron flame and blinked and now it's a year and I'm on shadows and starlight podcast. So, We're so happy to have you here. Yeah, I'm thrilled to be here. Are you kidding? I get to like, I get to geek around and gab. That's our thing. We love it. We both ramble about books all the time and it's just really nice to like, create a community. But our next question is, we will just like know, can like, can you walk us through the process of you and your friends making the audio book and the most challenging and rewarding parts of it as well. Totally. So my, process has been evolving the whole time. Like, I go through it chapter by chapter. Like, I don't have a bank of chapters that I'm like waiting to release. I usually have like one to three in edit at all times. but like I go in order so I go through and I read the whole chapter out loud into my mic in my I have like a home voiceover studio. So I like, lock myself in there. like, at the beginning of the day with. Like some beverages and fruit and stuff and I hunker down and I'm like, okay, cool i'm going to hope I don't get cotton mouth and like Into the mic too much. but the first draft is like, I read it straight off the page. and then I listen to it over and over and over and over. Like, I put it in my AirPods and like, walk around and listen to it, like, when I'm doing dishes, when I'm folding laundry, like, when I'm going on a walk, I just, like, Learn it at the most base level. And then I'm like, Oh, that's what this scene is about. Like, Oh, like, okay. The the main takeaways for this are like, all right, I'll break it down into two different scenes. and that's, that's what the vibe is going to be. And so like, once I have an idea of the scenes, I go through and I. Highlight all the lines on my iPad, and like highlight, different characters lines, and then I will like screenshot the pages, write some notes and then. send the lines to each character. And, they record the lines on their own. I end up transcribing every single chapter like through the process as it goes. and then the more I listened to it, the more I'm like, okay, this is kind of clunky. This is what we need to switch up. So I'll like re write people's lines. Just make it sound like everyone's all in the same room. Literally like Zayden is in San Diego and I've never met him in person. I'm in New York City. people are all over the place just like recording on their own and sending me stuff. if I'm lucky, I get to have like friends come over and record like, Imogen records with me. Liam is like so perfect. and he records here. It's mostly me listening to it, figuring out like, what kind of tropes I want to do. And like what moments, like I want to lean into like, okay, what are we meant to be feeling right now? Because fourth wing is so good at just like getting your heart rate up. And, so instead of. Describing like, Oh, like suddenly, like my hair is standing on end and there's this crazy presence and and it's a whole paragraph describing like Zayden walking into battle brief. And instead it'll just be like, Violet's having a conversation. What the, what is that? Like with like sound effects and stuff like. Zayden's shadows are a whole character of their own. So I more build the world and it's more of like, you're living in it rather than hearing it read to you or described to you. That's really cool. That's that's the goal. Just explaining your process the quality of it makes so much sense because I can tell how dedicated you are to it. And like Mackenzie said, you don't make any money from it. And that's so cool that you're this passionate about it. And that you like listen to it over and over again and like revise and revise like props to you for putting that much work into it. And It is amazing. So great job. Thank you. I really appreciate that. I really, really appreciate that. I just love this series and I love pretending that it's real. So Might as well prolong it as long as possible. Yeah, exactly. And, and Hey, like if you're working on the TV show, if you're working on the fourth wing TV show, I know what I'm doing. Like, I will help you. Please hire us. Put me in coach, like, I'm on the same team. Like you don't even have to pay me, please. I've been making it during my off hours and I just want to be making it during my on hours. because that's literally all I do with my time, pretty much. That's so cool. Not to be egotistical, but like, I fuck with it. I think if you put that much time into it, you can be a little egotistical. Yeah, it's really good, it is really good. thanks. I feel like if you listen to it, like you can tell that and I am definitely taking some creative liberties, and like making it Maddie's version, but that's because like, I don't want it to be like any other audio book because that already exists and it's great, but like, we're making a TV show. Okay. So for the next question, if you were able to do this as a full time job, would you want to branch out to other series? And what series would those be, if you could? Oh my gosh. I only have brain space and heart space for Fourth Wing right now. Like, I've been doing this For 11 and a half months now. And it's taken me a year to get through the first 20 chapters of Fourth Wing, which is the first half of the first book. So I'm like, I would love to keep doing this for, like, as long as I can, and I have every intention to keep doing it. If I'm going to do any other book, like it is far off in advance. I'm just trying to finish fourth wing so I can get hired on fourth wing. but at the same time, if I could do this as a full time job, that would be the best ever. I think Crescent city would be so fun to do like a huge undertaking that like, you couldn't really do without also doing ACOTAR. like have y'all read the entire Masaverse? Okay. Yeah, it's I thin So fun just because it's like kind of similar vibes of like, I don't know. I feel like you could make pop culture references somewhere. It's just modern. So like, I feel like I can bring it to life actually. I feel like I can make it make sense. but yeah, I'm trying to think of other, book series and now I'm like coming up blank for all of them. obviously, I would want to do Twilight. That'd be so fun. That'd be so fun. That would be very nostalgic. That would be so cool. That would be cool. sweet. Well, I really hope you do Crescent City because I actually am one of the few people that likes Crescent City more than Actor. Love Crescent City. Love it. And I also don't understand why a bunch of people hate the third one, but that's a whole topic for another time. But if you ever do get around to doing that, I think you would be amazing at it. Like you said, you can make a lot more pop culture references. And since you kind change the lines. I think that would be, yeah, I definitely changed the way the characters like. Express and most of the time it's like pretty much directly off the page, but I also will add stuff like, at the end of like this scene when Zayden and Violet are walking in his like tunnel to the flight field, his like private tunnel, it's chapter 19, the chapter ends because it's like, Oh, we're getting near the end of the tunnel. I see the wall. And then Zayden does like a magic thing. Like he won't like he won't tell me about where he's been. So whatever. Okay. Zayden does the magic thing and now we're outside, she's like, you're not going to tell me like what you've been up to. And he's like, nope. And then I added what cat got your tongue? And then he's like, what is that? And then, and then Zayden says, what is that supposed to mean? Which he says earlier in the scene for something else, but I like cut that line. So I have like, Oh, what cat got your tongue tongue? And he's like, what is that supposed to mean? And she's like, It's an expression, and then he's like, boom, we're outside, and she's like, oh, never mind, like, distraction, magic. Oh my gosh. That's so clever. Little fandom things like that, that are just fun. Yeah, every time, I'll sneak in little electric spark sound effects, like when Zayden talks sometimes, and it like, turns her on. The first time he says us, there's like a little zzz. Like, making the, the elements talk to each other, in like a foreshadowing way. Like anytime Violet's about to do something groundbreaking, you hear thunder in the background. Like Amber Mavis is about to get executed and she's like, hmm, should I, yeah, I love the sound effects. I love how creative you are with stuff like that. That's really cool. I'm excited. I kind of started at chapter 19 for some reason. I was like, I just want to like start down here, but I'm excited to like go down from chapter one and Listen to everything. Yeah. Anytime you're like, is that a reference? Or like, is that a? Yes. Like I did it. Yes. I did it. I did it on purpose knowing that no one will ever realize like there's so many hidden things like in there. also like the sound effect I have when Taryn is in Violator flying in from Threshing to the flight field and the whole crowd is like, wow. Cause he like everyone's freaking out cause Taryn bonded. the audience sound effects going, whoa. Is, that from that video, super hot fire when they're all like, Oh, and that one guy's like, Oh, I literally just ripped the audio from that and like change the pitch and added some reverb. And like, if you listen to chapter 15, that is what that sound effect is. I'm gonna listen to chapter 15 today. Yes. So it's actually funny because Cana, I know she listens to the Jam audio version on Audible all the time and she's been trying to get me to listen to it. But I've been like, I don't wanna spend a whole audible credit when I already have the regular version. Like I'm gonna have two of the same book. I'm gonna spend a whole credit on it, or I don't have to buy it. So I think it's really cool'cause I wanna go back and literally start from chapter one and fourth Wing and just. Listen to it on YouTube, on your channel. It's perfect, fam. Yeah, please, please do. I'm going as fast as I can making them. And I've just got the first half of the first book. But they, their first kiss is the next chapter. I'm so nervous. You're like, oh my goodness. No, I know. this is going to be crazy, like, there's literally zero lip locking happening. this is my trick. You make like lips with your hand. Oh my gosh. Perfect. Sound realistic. Behind the scenes. Speaking of first kiss, I'm about to veer off the path for just a second. fourth wing, like the Imperium series is like this undying love. It's like. This just unbreakable bond, like, so I noticed you were talking about your husband earlier and Kana is also married and I just got engaged. So can you tell us a little bit? Can you tell us a little bit about y'all's love story? Oh my gosh. Yes. okay. So I met him the like the day or the day after I moved to New York. Okay So we both went to NYU. I went to acting school he went to business school and our paths should never have crossed but I had gone to a different audition for a different acting school, like the year before. And I met some girl in like at that audition, we became Facebook friends and then we both ended up getting into NYU and then our parents dropped us off and she was like, Hey, I don't know anybody here. Like, do you want to just come over to my dorm? And I was like, sure. So I went over to her dorm and then this motherfucker with a buzz cut and a green lantern, Hey, I'm David, like party next door. If you'd like, if you guys want to come, like, we're going to, we're going to have like a floor party tonight. and then I was like, Hey, cool. Like sweet tank top. He was like, yeah. And you look great because I was dressed up to go to Rocky horror picture show. So I was like heavy eyeliner, fishnet tights, like the whole night. and we were just. And I was like, okay, like, sure, yeah, like. And he's like, Oh, you know, like Green Lantern. And I was like, yeah, well, I'm more of a Marvel girl than DC, but like, it's fine. And, then we got drunk and, hooked up and it, the rest is history. Wow. Literally like six hours later. we crossed paths and we never uncrossed them. That's cute. I love New York. How long have you guys been together? we started dating in 2013. Okay. and we got married in the summer of 2023. So it'll be 12 years this fall. Oh my gosh. That's so cute. That's amazing. we met as children, but, that's my man. David's incredible and he's so encouraging. also like just nerdy and supportive and down, like he, um, read the books or listen to the audio. He listens to my audio, but he, it's really sad guys. He can't read. I can relate. I mean, it's, turns out it's, it's really difficult to, to get men to, like, do intellectual things. Like, Yeah, yeah, sounds about right. Sit, like, sit down and, like, actually, like, let something happen. to them. that's also like two on purpose shade my husband because I'm like, you would love these books. Like he like loved Percy Jackson back in the day, like, you know, big Harry Potter fan. Like we all read as kids and and I know he's down for all the fantasy stuff because he plays World of Warcraft. Like he's a gamer. Like he's very much in the like fantasy sci fi nerdy scene. So I'm like, you should read. Reading is good. Like reading is good for everyone. And you would fuck with this story. So, like, read it. And he's like, no. He listens to Maddie's version and he loves it. he played Dylan. In chapter one. So he died. Oh! Scott Dillon! That's so cute though. Never forget Dillon. Um, and he played Tynan too. So he died twice. But, Damn. Yeah. He's fantastic. he does a really, really good job. Aww. That's so adorable. I can't. Yes. He's the best. Okay. Bye David. Thanks. Two more questions for ya. are there any particular scenes from Onyx Storm that you're really looking forward to remaking when you do get around to book three? Oh my god. I haven't even thought about that yet. I mean, kind of like you were saying the, the scene on Hedonis, Hedonis, the wisdom aisle, like just that table scene with everyone, just like shading each other and like being like, yes, quite. And then like vomiting blood, like it's that whole chess game of the table, I feel like would be. So fun to act out like, yeah, that would be, yeah, tons of fun just to like, to have all the characters play with each other, like, when I make them, I have everyone sends me their files and then I like cut them down and I like literally move. Little files around and I like force my friends to talk to each other as Dane and Imogen but I feel like having all those characters in that setting of just like the tension and like there's so many fun opportunities for like like fun sound effects and like Awkwardness with the music. I think that would be a super fun scene to just like, fuck around with. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So for the last question, just for our listeners. So YouTube, is that the only place that they can find it? I'm trying to figure out how to put it on Spotify. that should be coming soon. Because I'm not making any money off of it. And it's not like licensed necessarily. I've tried to go about it, but, Rebecca Yaros is publishers haven't emailed me back. It's fine. But like, I just really don't want to, I don't want to like break any rules or get in trouble. And I feel like. Spotify, like, I literally just don't know what the rules are, but that's next on my agenda. So Spotify soon, and right now it's just on YouTube, YouTube search, fourth wing Maddie's version, chapters one through 21 are up and still going. And it's a real fun time. Yes. Sweet. Okay, well, I think that's all we have, so we'll go ahead and close unless there's anything else you wanted to add? I don't think so. Gay rights! Duh! Yay! Yes! Trans rights. Fuck Trump. Fuck Donald Trump. I don't know if I'll put that on the episode yet. What, on Elon Musk's internet? Yeah, fuck Donald Trump. I know, they're gonna like put me on a list somewhere. They're gonna ban us, kinda. I'm like, if I'm not on a couple of government lists, I have failed. Right, right. That's my goal, is to be on every list. I like that. Like, they should be scared of me. Oh my god, I'm so glad you said that, because I feel like most people that read fantasy books tend to be liberal because I feel like a lot of the themes in there go against things that are happening. With our country. But anyway. Especially the imperialists. I digress. Especially the imperialists. Yes. Big politics. It's about so much propaganda and stuff. Yeah. I at least know what it's like to understand what it's like to, lose faith in your kingdom in a land that, has a bunch of bullshit trade rules and, likes to write their own version of history, but like is also, it's a bunch of bullshit. So yeah, I saw a TikTok the other day. It was like, I like to read about fantasy novels, not feel like I'm literally in one. And I was like, yeah, I'm feeling that right now. Yeah. But anyways, well, thank you so much, Maddie, for joining us. This was so fun. And who knew we had so much in common? No, I know. Seriously. I'm so glad we're friends now. we want to have you back on in the future, maybe like when we get ready to cover book four, or we just want to do like a random Empyrean something. I'm literally always down to call in and talk Empyrean. So, cool. Well, that is a wrap on this Onyx Storm bonus episode, folks. Again, thank you, Maddie, for joining us and thank you for taking so much of your time to create something for the fandom. And yeah, you guys definitely go check it out. I am definitely going to listen to every single one of the episodes you drop from here on out. and yeah, thank you listeners for joining us today. We cannot wait to keep talking about Onyx Storm with you guys. Yes, and join us Thursday, January the 30th for our first Onyx Storm Deep Dive episode. We will be going over chapters 1 through 11. Yes, and we are growing a lot in the midst of this really big release, and it would mean a lot to us if you guys would help us capitalize on this. So leave us a review, check out our socials, tell us what you liked, what you didn't. We love having feedback. Or if you just want to talk about Onyx Storm or any fantasy book ever, we would love to, so message us. And then make sure to subscribe on YouTube and all major podcast platforms for a freshly baked episode to be delivered to you next week. Yeah, only thing I have to say is thank you so much for having me on and YouTube search 4th Wing Maddie's version and Rebecca Yaros, Moira, Wally Beckett, Michael B. Jordan, please DM me. Yes. if we want to support Maddie, maybe we can reach out to Rebecca Yaros, her publishing team, the TV show. Let's get Maddie in here because You know everything Empyrean, and you're good at it. So, yeah. Thanks, bro. Yeah, if you get more of Wally Beckett's email, let a girl know. I'll look on Reddit, maybe I can find it there. Yeah. You can find everything on Reddit. Much appreciated. Yes. Alright, well, bye friends. We'll see you this Thursday for our first Deep Dive. Bye!