Onyx Storm | When Poison is Just the Appetizer

 This week on Shadow and Starlight, we’re diving into Chapters 34-45 of Onyx Storm, where awkward family reunions, condescending elites, and literal poisonings set the stage for chaos. Xaden’s mom attempts a sugary apology (too little, too late), the Triumvirate suggests breaking up our favorite power couple (as if), and Garrick's biggest weakness is cake. The Quest Squad barely makes it out alive, only to face more heartbreak, betrayal, and a dumpster fire meeting with the most judgmental dragons in existence. Oh, and did we mention the bitch slap and Ridoc’s ongoing prank war? It’s a wild ride—buckle up.

• This episode is based on Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. 
• Intro Music by Boomer
• Logo by @reeseplantedesign 
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Transcript

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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, worldbuilding, lore, and so much more. So buckle your seatbelts for this wild rollercoaster ride of emotions, magical worlds, and laughs. I'm Kenzie! I'm Kena. And today we're covering chapters 34 through 45 of Onyx Storm by Rebekah Yarris. Ah, we're getting close to the end. Anyways. 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 definitely rated R and for those 18 plus. Regarding spoilers, if you have not finished Onyx Storm to the very last page, please come back after you do so. While we are discussing the stretch of chapters, we'll be doing so with the perspective of what happens in the rest of the book. To better our understanding, help us dive deeper into the theories, and appreciate the masterful foreshadowing of Rebecca Yaros. So going forward, all episodes on our show will contain spoilers for the whole series in question. Next, if you like what you heard today and want more, please come back next Thursday, and next Thursday, and next Thursday, and next Thursday, and every Thursday after that for a brand new episode. As an adolescent podcast, we would love to hear your feedback and better ourselves and expand our book loving community. Please feel free to give us reviews, reach out. Reach out to us on social media and follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and watch us on YouTube at shadow and starlight pod. I was looking at my nail. I was like, Oh my God, where'd my fingernail go? Because I, at work, I sanded off part of my fingernail. It's, it's like all there, but like, I was feeling it and it was like, not where it was supposed to be. Working with power tools. Anyways, drinking the pod. I'm having a drip drop. Do you know what a drip drop is? No. It's like a liquid IV. It's like a hydration drink that Weston gets from work. He just gets a whole bunch. I'm just drinking Sprite. Noice. Honey. Honey. Okay, so two more weeks of Onyx Storm, then Metal Slinger, and then we're gonna hit Anathema. I'm so excited for that one. Can't wait to read about Xavander. It's honestly like a scary, not like a super scary book, but it definitely has like the gothic horror elements that I really liked while I was reading it. Usually because I read it right around Halloween, the vibes were immaculate. Interesting, we'll see. Because I'm a scaredy cat. No, we watch horror movies, you'll be alright. It's less scary to read than it is to watch. We watched horror movies, what, twice? And the first one we didn't even finish. The second one was just dumb. Yeah, you're not scared though. I'm pretty scary. I have nightmares. Yeah, that is catch. I, only time I have nightmares are like adulting nightmares. Where like I'm super late for something or I forgot to do something. It's never like, just like a regular ass nightmare. Time to cross the parapet. To kick off our episode, Candace is going to lead us across the parapet and take us through her Shadow and Twilight synopsis, a. k. a. her unhinged summary of the events of these chapters. Yeah, after navigating a sufficiently awkward conversation with Zayden's mom, who is trying to make amends with her son using sugary treats and sugar coated verbal niceties. Yeah, that's not gonna work. If we didn't all despise this woman enough after hearing that she left her son, On his 10th birthday, she now has two other 11 year old sons and has never contacted Zayden since that fateful night. a conflicted Zayden is staying off the ice. thanks to his uber supportive girlfriend and eventually agrees to a two for one special dinner with his mom and dinner with the triumvirate. to try and get access to all their knowledge. Dinner starts off pretty awkward and then it gets even worse. The sadistically elitist trio is high key judging the group and dissecting all of their life choices. They have the audacity to suggest breaking up for a few years would be oh so wise, royal heirs, and bloodlines and alliances and all that. As if Zayden and Violet's future child would be the baddest mofo that ever lived, royal bloodline or not. Zayden agrees right away, drop them papers. I'm gonna wipe up Violet right meow. Sorry, buddy. You're actually gonna have to wait until the most dramatic moment possible to marry her off page, but I appreciate your enthusiasm. Basically, everyone but Arak is flabbergasted, but he's casually just sittin there, eatin his roast chicken, almost like he can see the future or somethin Despite the condescending audacity of the Triumvirate's test, Violet and Art give them a piece of their minds, and then it's time for dessert, a. k. a. poison. Thank god no one ate it before they re Goddammit, Garrett! Dude is over there licking the plate, and seconds later he's not breathing. While Talia freaks out, her new husband watches with rapt fascination, his cruel streak now showing. Talia, you left the oh so terrible Fenn Ryerson for this piece of shit? You're kidding me, right? Anyways, Garak is about to die and his dragon just started a minor forest fire, so basically it's time to freak out, but also everything is fine because Violet is the OG Poison Master. Freaking Faris would rather have the Triumvirate and the mother of his children die in an incredibly painful way than to admit Violet beat him at his own game. Violet lurches into her badass general mode, giving orders and setting off to find clues to the poisonous ingredient and antidote. The cook is less than cooperative. Violet, actually, but his nasty fingernails have all the answers Violet needs. What a relief! Until Riddick is stabbed in the side! What?! Just kidding, everybody! The knife is only stuck in his flight jacket. Leaving Riddick with a bone to pick with the chef because he hates sewing more than he hates dark wielders and everyone underestimating him. back in the dining room, Dane races off to get figs and Violet confronts Faris, still stubborn as ever, and stupid as ever because he had considered himself safe from the venom like they wouldn't come over here just to drain the life from his body. Good news, Garrick will live. Bad news, Zayden is on the ice and totally beating up Faris. but when Zayden's rage is redirected to Riddick, Violet has to step in and talk him down. Despite impending death, Ferris's ego is still bigger than his will to live. That is, until Violet reveals her scheme with Andarna, who is now camouflaged right outside where his sons are. Bye, ya freaks! Checkmate, quest squad out. Faris, I hope you never forget a 20 year old college student outsmarted you in your own home, and I hope Talia leaves you. After many hours of flight time, they pull up to the Xenal Island. They receive a warm welcome from both citizens and magic. Yay! Quest squad members can finally catch up with their bonded creatures. Or in Zayden's case, back to getting yelled at by Sigail and trying to convince his girlfriend that he is really truly losing it and arguing with her mind to mind while everyone else carries on in real life. Turns out, the big gathering is actually a festival welcoming them. Time to receive gifts of luck to gain access to the queen. Gifts include wine, clothes, compass, jewelry, and a slap that was purely therapeutic for the fandom. Now that Dane has been thoroughly bitch slapped, we can proceed with his redemption arc and all fall in love with him without feeling bad about ourselves. Drake gets the cutest little orange kitty cat! Oh my gosh, but the unluckiest of them all is Traeger, who receives an arrow to the heart. I cried on this reread, bro. It's emotional, especially because him and Kat were so cute. They were holding hands and fucking on the beach. Damn it. Anyways, I will say at least Traeger was able to get lucky with his crush before he died, so. He had that going for him. The squad is barely able to stifle their screams and sobs of grief enough to thank this cursed fucking isle for killing their friend while his griffon is dying Right next to them. At least they have secured an alliance and army this time, but still no eriods and no war altering, world saving type of information. They agree on burial plans for the dead, and Violet grapples with the cost of her quest and the challenges of leadership. Her man gently reminds her, but That her dragon is a general and by proxy she is too, and she's also a supreme badass who needs to live that confidence out. Stopping on another magical aisle for a funeral service, quest squad gets some much needed rest. While Mira and her future lover man argue over which vegetable the kitten should be named after, the rest of the squad split up to search the minor aisles. Riddick and Violet stay behind until the fire goes out, entertained by his ongoing prank war with his oh so glorious and superior dragon that's just as unserious as his rider. Suntanning in Sindarna, the time has come for another family reunion. That's not gonna go well. Hello, you little irrits! You little, you little iridescence. Riddick wants to know if they're happy or terrified they found the Irrids, to which Violet responds, Yes. The good news is they aren't dead already, but these dragons seem kind of judgy and arrogant, but I guess that's to be expected. And Darna recounts her life from egg to present while the Erids ask questions and grow increasingly silent. After they have a little Erid discussion, these rude but sort of polite elitist assholes let them know and Darna was left behind to see if humanity could choose and live in peace. Kind of hard to do when dark wielders exist, but okay, bro. Their judgment is that Violet is the worst of humanity. Clearly, they have never met Jack Barlow or Father Father Atos, but I digress. And not only have they greatly insulted Violet and Andarna with weaponized disappointment, they don't give a rat's ass about what happens on the continent. And they confirm that Venon have no cure. Double fail. To add on to this dumpster fire plot twist, they refuse to accept Andarna as one of their own. As if going through dragon puberty wasn't enough. She also has to deal with the shame and agony of her hopes being crushed when it comes to her only family. The nail in the coffin is the Irids calling Zayden out as a venom abomination before taking off. And Riddick is right there. Saw the whole thing go down and he has some words for Violet. Next chapter, Violet has a much needed reality check filling Riddick in on the whole story, who is flabbergasted and stressin as he should be. The good friend that he is, Riddick will keep the secret, but only if Violet stops being a dilulu and sets some boundaries on how far she will go for a man. It's Zayden Ryerson, but Come on, girl, there has to be a line of self preservation. Zaddy enters the conversation, and after agreeing to Riddick's further demands, our charming class clown has to let the dark wielder know that he didn't bed his woman in the forest due to the lightning strike. Zayden's not worried though, because that strike was not big enough. With all that said and done, time to head back home to be arrested. Much like the way back on Any Glorious Vacation, it sucks, and Darna and besties, and the weight of failure hangs over the quest squad. Might I remind you guys that you did secure an army of 40, 000 people, but whatever. The remaining iron squad in Bazgaith gives them a warm welcome, as does General Atos, in his own asshole way, of course, with condescending rudeness, starts of punishment, and news of Queen Mariah's death. Hello, King Takaris. I'm not sure I like that, but it is what it is. Thanks to his majesty's gratefulness at Oryx's return, no court martialing. After a lengthy interrogation, it's back to business at Beggariath, battle brief discussions about how much damage is being done outside the wards, and how on earth they're going to save the continent when 12 Venon took out a city of 25, 000 people. The key is not to panic. Probably. I'm panicking while I'm reading it. After her super awesome little friends once again prove she should never keep secrets, Violet is dreamwalking in Satan's nightmare. After walking and writing, after waking and writing a love letter to him, Violet attends Kaori's class and they practice battle mounts. Violet once again showing everyone that the right way isn't the only way, or the most badass way. Now that we've crossed the parapet, time to head into our battle brief section where we will discuss all notable things in this set of chapters, including four Shadowmen theories and our favorite parts. Yas. Okay, the first thing I want to talk about is Violet and her future of leadership. So especially in this stretch, more than any other time in Onyx Storm, I feel like she's reminded a lot that she is a leader in many facets, irregardless of whether she chose to or whether she wants to be. Zayden reminds her, quote, you were selected by a general among dragons. You can choose to step into leadership or he can drag you. So it's inevitable and it's inevitable. And he does follow that up with encouragement. Like You can totally do this. Like the way she's going to all these aisles and just handling shit when everything goes wrong. I'm like, dude, you got this. Have the confidence, embrace it. Like you are a leader. You may not think you are, or I feel like she's always held Rihanna. And like Rihanna the group. Like she has the leadership qualities. And I'm like, you do too. You just have to embrace it. And rightfully, like the, I feel like this is a very true statement, like whether it's talking about fantasy books or outside of that, like the best leaders are the ones who would never choose to do that, but I, I am so excited to see her grow throughout the books. She's so badass. And I think. Especially book three, she's, she's realized and begun to accept the role that she has to play and that she is a leader and someone of a general on the battlefield. I just feel like this is really setting up book four, violet to be something else entirely, especially because she's going to be Duchess of Tyrande or two. So that's another leadership role. She's going to have to take on. And I caught something in the stretch that was making me think that maybe that might. And in her being Queen, so when they're at the dinner table in Hidotis, Zayden's mother tells the dinner table that it's possible that Tyrandor can regain its sovereignty. They are the largest province of Navarre and they have a weaker allegiance to Navarre than any of the other Pyrrhomish territories. So. Politically, that could definitely be a possibility and the, the thought, the fact that she brought that up makes me think that's foreshadowing, like, will they ever fully separate from Navarre? Will Violet be the queen of Tyrande? I think she could kill it as queen, but we'll see. That might be a lot for her to think about right now. Yeah, I don't know. I am like, I know you mentioned. Or who mentioned? I think it was either you or Maddie was mentioning how this is kind of low key turned into Bridgerton. And I'm excited for that. Like, cause I love Bridgerton, and I love, I love, um, like royalty and just, like some of my favorite romance books were like based in like castles and, and, yeah, royalty and stuff like that. Do you see there's a sneak peek for Bridgerton season four? No, I haven't. Or whatever season they on? Yeah, I don't think it's like a really, a trailer, but it was just a sneak peek of them behind the scenes. Although, I'm not that excited about it. I didn't like the last season very much. I don't know. I mean, the last season wasn't my favorite, but I still enjoyed it. I think I'll enjoy any season Bridgerton puts out. Who is this one on? I'm definitely going to watch it, but who's, who's the, one of the older brothers, Benedict, is that his name? Maybe. I don't know. The artist brother. I think it's his turn. I don't know. Okay. Cool. We'll see. Season 2 is still OG, cause, whoo. As long as it's not whoever was last at the last seasons. Well, I mean, obviously it's not his turn, but I'm like, his was just okay. Who, Colin? He wasn't that cute to me. Yeah. Colin. I don't think so either. All right. I want to talk about the fact that I think. I want to talk about the fact that I think that the Ares are definitely hiding something and they know something and they're not telling us that and yeah, so even though like we were very excited to meet Indorna's family throughout this book and I was like super, like I was really anticipating meeting her family cause this was pretty much the premise of the book, like trying to figure out more about her, um, familial line and her heritage. This feeling was very short lived after actually meeting them. Cause they're actual pricks and whatever. So I think that their refusal to help is because they know something that we don't. And even though they confirmed there is no cure to venomism, venonism. I think that. They know something. So one thing that they said in particular really stuck out to me and it was quote, perhaps the corrupted one to devour the land in its entirety. Only when they're faced with starvation will they confront the evil they've become. Either they'll die off and the land will regenerate or they'll confront the abominations they become and change. So the word that stuck out to me the most was obviously change and the Irids have been around for a very long time and it seems like they're the only ones who actually really know what happened over 600 years ago during the great war and they left because they And they say they left because they disagreed with the power that they were providing their writers in the way it was used, and they believe that, and I don't know, I just question the whole fact they believe that the Dark Ridders could change and why would they even say it? And we know that Rebecca Yarrows is a very like intentional writer and that whatever she puts on page definitely comes back up later. So that word just kind of really stuck out to me. So either they're insanely naive or they know something about. How to transition back into humans that we don't. I don't know. It kind of sounds like they're just like, Oh, too bad. So sad because they are pranks. Yeah. Like whatever happens, happens. Maybe it'll work out. Maybe it won't. But I do feel like there's still so much more that we don't know about them. And I don't know. It's driving me nuts because I feel like I'm close to making a connection, but like things are adding up. But I do think it's interesting that all of the Erids have feather tails and I think previously a lot of times when we were going through the first two books and like Jane's father being interested in feather tales and like all the research Violet's father was doing on it we thought it was because feather like adolescents can gift their powers to humans so that's why I thought people were so interested in them but I feel like it's so much more than that and not even that they can draw power from the sky I feel like They have something that could be a game changer, but they're not willing to let Violet and crew in on it and Indorna. Yeah, because Best Guy is a war college and most of their tactics that they do, like for trade is set. Ate them in war. So obviously I feel like they have something very powerful that they're holding back on if Baz got one of ours like so stuck on trying to figure out the research for them because a lot of like their motives is really aids in war so it's like they have something that could probably really I don't know, make them unstoppable, unbeatable, so. Yeah, I did highlight that quote that you read about like maybe they'll change, which I'm like, is that a pop? Is that like foreshadowing? Is that a possibility? Because we have a theory we're going to discuss in depth later that We think Zayden will have to dedicate his soul to a god, possibly the god of love? Because all is fair in love and war, but anyway. So we think that he'll have to dedicate himself to a god to regain his soul. And I'm like, okay, what if like all the Benin have to do that? And now everyone's dedicated to gods. That would be kind of crazy. But if that's the only like cure, a way to change, I could see that happening. But dude, I don't know how this is going to play out. Yeah. Okay. We're going to talk about Zayden's descent into being a psychopath. It is getting significantly worse with each stretch and Violet is just over here, absolutely delusional. She's like, who was it? The Irids or someone else was like, no, like you can't get back the pieces of soul that you lose when you channel, like they're dead. And Violet's just like, well, we'll have to live with that. I'm like, girl, what? And. She's the Lulu, but Zayden, I think, is really accepting his fate. And one quote he said, it's, quote, It's not the power that's addicting, it's the freedom not to feel this. And I feel like that's the biggest kind of clue that this descent into being Ovenin is becoming easier and easier for him. And he's channeled three, four times now. But the way that Violet was describing him in the Switched Chapters, and he was describing himself, it was reminding me of like drug addiction. Cause she was wondering at one point, like, does he know that I have my conduit or the alloy in my bag? Like, do I need to like hide it somewhere else? he's literally like an addict, like looking for ways to channel. Yeah. And what he told her about the lack of emotion in this quote and how it's incredibly freeing. I feel like that is why a lot of addicts end up. Being hooked on drugs is because it's an escape and you're numbing yourself and you're numbing your pain. And it's just, things are escalating so badly. Like Violet having to step in between him and Riddick. I was like, dude, that's not good. Yeah. If you're thinking he's going to hurt your squad mate. What makes you think he's not going to hurt you? Um, but I do really appreciate Riddick helping Violet kind of crawl out of her delusion a little bit when he asks, like, would, quote, would you channel to save him or is that a line? And he's making her draw a line, which I think is great friendship. Yeah. But Violet's internal response kind of piqued my attention because she says, quote, I swallow hard remembering that breath of a second in the Wardstone chamber where my power hadn't been enough to imbue the stone. So she's already been tempted. Granted. Yes, she said no in that moment, but we know that she'll do anything to save her loved ones and even Zayden, she'll do anything to save him. And that makes me think that possibly she could end up channeling at some point either to save Zayden or maybe she gets to a point where like someone major dies and she's just a hot mess and she doesn't want to feel emotions anymore. I don't think that one's as likely as her trying to save somebody, but I don't know y'all. Will Violet become a Venom 2? Who knows? I feel like I'm like everyone's gonna turn bad. I feel like if they don't find a cure for Zayden, then I feel like she definitely would turn for him. I don't know. I feel like she's, they're just so far gone into each other. Like I don't doubt for a second that she would, she would turn for him. And You're going to hate this, but this also reminds me of Vampire Diaries, when Elena, when Elena turns into a vampire and like, she was like, always judging vampires and judging like when they cut their emotions off. Um, and then she, like her brother dies and that's like exactly what she does. Like she was like a freshly vampire and she couldn't like control the emotions that she was experiencing. So she cut her emotions off and then she turned to like this annoying, emotionless vampire for like the next. Five episodes, yeah, I mean, I think there's a lot of merit in like that trope, I guess, where I mean, going through incredibly hard things. And I feel like when you're such a compassionate, like, person that Violet is, eventually, like, it becomes too much to bear at a point, especially when you're dealing with all the shit she's dealing with, where you're eventually just like, fuck it. I'd rather be numb. I'd rather be evil. I just don't want to feel like this anymore. Next, we're going to talk about Zayden's inevitable demise part, like three or four. I don't know at this point. We've talked about like every episode, so, so, um, again, even though we talked about Zayden's inevitable doom, every single episode of this stretch, well, every single episode of this book. I mean, we just can't deny the fact that like every stretch has some little tidbits of his It's loss of control with it, so, um. I was a little bit naive and I just knew that Rebecca was going to help us save our daddy's aid in this book. But unfortunately that did not happen. But there was a piece of um, there was a certain quote this stretch that really stuck out to me and I think that It was a hint towards the foreshadowing towards his transition at the end of the book. So it was quote, and I'm making sure Violet is capable of killing me when the time comes. If it's between her and me, I choose her and kill the other guy I become end quote. So per usual, Zayden is, I feel like, okay, so in this part, I feel like Zayden is low key scheming. Cause like, At the first two books, he's always scheming a realistic plan that, you know, he kind of like surprises everybody with it while everybody else is like depending on this false hope that there's another way. Um, and I feel like he's doing that this book as well. As Kiana was saying earlier, I feel like his complete loss of control during this stretch only shows that he doesn't have long before the undying want the undying want for her, like the power to take over him. Well, I'm glad he knows that Violet is de lulu and he's scheming to like yeah I'm put in a plan because he knows and like he healed he tells her how he feels and like She's just like it's fine. It's fine. I got it He's like, I know how I feel like I am NOT gonna be able to hold off the ice forever She's like so adamant. Oh, there has to be another way and Zayden's like I'm glad that you think that and you want to save me, but there's no other way. There's no proven fact that this is going to work like I already have, like I know what we need to do. Ugh, Violet's frustrating. Yeah. She needed that reality check from Riddick or I was about to be really upset with her because I'm just like, dude, I get it. It's like Zayden Ryerson, you have a special mind to mind connection. Your dragons are mated. You have this crazy, mind blowing sex, but still, it's a man. Have some self preservation. Alright, next we're going to talk about Aurek. And how I'm honestly falling in love with him. Oh. I was just, so many little moments, I was just like, Aurek? These chapters? in like a very good way. Like at the dinner table in Hidotus, I kind of mentioned in the synopsis, like he was just so unbothered. Just like eating the meal and I'm like, he just sitting over there and he knows what's happening. Like he can literally see the future. You little minx, you manifested that signet. And I just also loved like, Even he was unbothered, but also when he spoke up, he was like, so knowledgeable and mysterious and like, oh, just killing it. I love it. Like when he roasted the triumvirate for their lack of character. I was like, dude, go off. I love you. And another moment that caught my eye in the stretch of chapters was that he might have pre cogged his own death in the war. I don't like it, but we're gonna talk about it. So he remarks that, I didn't write down the exact quote, but he says that his brother will rule and he will probably die fighting in the war, and that he's okay with that. And I'm like, well, did you see yourself die in the future? This is, I don't know, like,'cause we don't really know how his sign works. Like can he see multiple timelines, like how far in the future can you see? How much control does he have over it? I don't know. But I feel like that might be foreshadowing, that he might die and that, and that's terrifying that if you see your own death. Like, I would not want that signet as amazing as it is. that's a hard signet. I never thought about that aspect of the signet. And I do, like, I don't know. So this is interesting because I didn't think about this. I did highlight that one part in the book where he was like, my brother will rule and I'll probably die fighting in the war. because I know like, we, we suspect around this time that he has already manifested his signet. He's seeing future occasions or whatever. So like my thing, my first thought when I read this part was like, Oh. So maybe Haldim really will be king because, you know, we've been like, we've been saying like, Auron can make a great king and this and that, but I'm like, oh, he said his brother will rule. So maybe that's like his brother will actually rule because he's seen that, but I never really thought like, oh, his brother will rule because he's going to die because he saw his death. So I think that was interesting because my mind didn't even go there. I want him to be king so bad. I know he'll be a great king. Lil Ark. Oh, he's so hot. He is. Have you seen the fan art? Yes. Alright. Is this like crazy? I think I'm starting to like other dudes in Fourth Wing more than I like Zayden. I'm just like, I'm kind of obsessed with Dane right now. It's kind of scary. More than Zayden? Um, I don't know. Wow. That's a crazy, I mean, lowkey me too though. I don't know. I mean, Zayden's never really been like my type, of course he's a queen. Well, Zayden's been my type, but you know. Yeah, he is. That's why I'm shocked that you're saying that is because you're, you're a shadow daddy queen. Cause you know, I'm a Cassian queen. So you know how I've always said like my least favorite trope of all is second chance romance and we've been getting that for the past two books. So like I was really invested in their relationship the first book because it was new, sparkling, was toxic. And I mean, he's still toxic, but like, it's just like second chance over and over and over and over again. And like, I'm, I'm ready for something fresh. So like when I saw the little tidbits of Dane and Sloan, I'm like, okay, this guy can get into something fresh. This is enemies of lovers again. Like I could do this. So yeah, I don't know. That's why I'm like low key obsessed with Dane and Sloan right now. Cause I'm just tired. That's why I was hoping to, that Violet would cure him this book and like, we could put all this shit behind us with their relationship because I feel like I'm ready. Like I also am not a fan of secondhand romance and just like the constant bickering and like the push and pull like tug of war, whatever. Like it's just, I don't know. I don't feel like I get as to the plot, but also I feel like it detracts in a way and I'm just tired of this dynamic repeating itself. Like either. Another married! Now he's missing, so I'm like, what the heck is gonna happen? That's probably why we're like, that's probably why we're obsessing with other characters at this point, because we're like, we need something new, I need something fresh. Yeah, he's gone. I love Zayden, but like, his toxicity is really killing me right now, it's getting old. Yeah, it's just, it's not even, like, it is him, but it's also Violet being Delilah for him. I'm like, all right, I'm kind of over this toxic relationship. It's not toxic in the way I need it to be. Yeah, I need, like, the hot, juicy, like, banter. Teasing, you know, that's, that's my type of toxic, like, I didn't think his villain era was as hot as I thought it would be. Who? Zayden. In this book, we were like, he's gonna be the hottest he's ever been in this book. Oh, we did say that. Which I really didn't feel like he was. Yeah. I don't know, maybe if he becomes a Maven. Maybe, I mean, I feel like he would be high as a maven. I don't know, his professor era, I loved his professor era. Not gonna lie. That's true. It didn't last very long. It didn't last long. Not at all. I thought we were gonna get some more juicy teacher student scenes. Yeah. Yeah. Anyways, I want to lastly just talk about the start of Zayden's disappearance. So this is like a mix of foreshadowing and a theory. So I'm just kind of like, that's why I put it last. So I wanted to talk a little bit about like the little tidbit of foreshadowing that we get like for the end of the book. And so Kena and I actually predicted before this book that, um, in Onyx Storm, he would kind of try to distance himself and push away from Violet or push Violet away from him. And One part in this stretch kind of stood out to me, and it was when they were starting their journey back home after finding the irit and failing miserably, and it was, quote, Zayden keeps his distance the whole time, end quote. So now that we know, like, what happens at the end of the book, that him and Violet gets married, and he actually leaves, and he's gone at this point, I think that this was. Zayden starting like pull another Zayden and he, so my thing is, I think that he didn't act like, I know that he asked Violet once in his book to help him save Tandor. And like, she's saying that she would do everything she can to help him save his home. But I think that was the only part of the plan that she was included in. I don't think that he told her about his plan to marry her to save him or his throne because I think the whole time they were trying to bet on Bodhi. And I think that he probably did this without her knowing and then erased her memories. I don't know, like, yeah, everybody's talking about like this off script conversation and things happen off script, but Zayden, we know Zayden. Zayden is a schemer. He's literally a person who lives in the shadows and he lies and he omits. So i'm like, what if he didn't tell her any of this and he just did it and then, um, like erase her memories. So you think when they got married she didn't even know that they were getting married? Maybe because now i'm thinking, now i'm thinking that um, When they were, he was talking to Sigel at the end of the book and he's like, um, Do you think she would help? Like, I know they were talking about Androna with the bond, but what if they were talking about Imogen and not Violet? Like, Imogen erasing her memories. Cause they said, cause at the end he was like, Zayden said she promised or something like that. So I was like, what if he was talking about Imogen? And it, it, it, and it was a conflicting conversation because Imogen and Violet grew so close this, this book. Dude. I need more information. About the end of the book. Now this is like giving me a whole other thing to think about. I don't know. I plead the fifth. It could be true. I'm scared to think about if it's true. I don't know. I don't know. But yeah, I think this was just Aiden pulling another Aiden. I like that angle to it. Yeah. Yep. He's good at that. Yeah. I would not want to be with him. I'm sorry. Yeah, nah. Maybe for one night. No, I'm just kidding. Okay. This theory is called I've Solved It Once Again. Okay, I'm being a little dramatic, but I This might be my favorite theory ever, and my jaw hit the floor when I saw this in my reread. So when Violet is explaining how delusional she is to Riddick, she says, quote, I don't have all the answers, Riddick. I just know I have to find them, whether they are in a forgotten book or some dark wielder's head. Yo, and when she's saying this, to Riddick, Violet doesn't know at this point that she is a dreamwalker and she can get in other people's heads. And we also know that Signets arise out of pure need, so if the answers she needs are in some Darkwielder's head, she could theoretically master her second Signet and go get them to either get the cure. And, or the knowledge to defeat the Venon, because I'm sure the Venon probably know, because they probably, like a lot of them are centuries old, they probably know what happened 600 years ago when they were driven to the barrens. But I, I'm thinking that book four, possibly book five, will be her mastering the second signet to enter the consciousness of dark wielders to find answers, which is going to be really cool to read. I'm excited about that. And Rebecca herself has confirmed we've only seen 10 percent of Violet's second signet, so. It'll be incredibly powerful. I'm so excited for her second signet. And even the Erids brought up the stretch, like how dangerous her signet is. Like it's, it's probably the most dangerous type of Intintic I would think, because you can enter people's minds when they're unconscious and unable to like have shields up when they're sleeping. The Erids are like, they tell Andarna, quote, You have handed this human something far more dangerous to wield, haven't you? So that's kind of signifying how important her signet is going to be. And then this quote with Riddick, I'm saying like, They might, the answers might be in some dark wielder's head. Well, girl, that's good because you can just scurry on into their brain. Dude, it just gave me chills. I love it. I didn't catch her at first, but I saw it on my reread and knowing what her second signet was now, I was like, wait, she could just go get the answers. She might not know it, but she could. She might have to train that signet a little more. I am so excited for her to like start training her second signet like. What if she just is like, let me go get in General Melgrin's head and see what happens. Please, I want to see that, please. Please. Please. What if she could enter a dragon's dreams? Interesting. That would also be interesting. Well, okay. Like I know this is probably far fetched, but we know that in fourth wing when, um, uh, Taryn and Sigil's like their certain emotions, like overpower them. Like, I know this is like really general for dragons to overpower their writers emotions, but like. Violet and Satan are both intrinsic and they both experienced that same kind of overpowering this when they were like, you know, getting it on. It's like, maybe, I don't know. Hmm. I wonder if she is going to enter his dreams to find out where he is. Like look for clues in his dreams about where he is and what he's saying. I feel like that's the only communication we're going to get between the two of them is like her entering his dreams until she can find him or until he comes back. Yeah. What? Okay. Does she mention Zayden like, like the last chapter when she woke up? Like the last chapter of the book? I think she did. So I was going to say like, I don't, I don't know. It's like, what if she forgot who Zayden that would be impossible. So nevermind. But she did mention him. I've seen a theory on TikTok about that. Or I've seen theories that Zayden, like had, had Imogen wipe Violet from his memory. So he wouldn't come back. Oh, so she's going to find me a great point. I would love to like, that would be the only, that would be the only second chance romance I would like to read about if he forgot who she was and she had to remind him, dude, that would be so crazy. She just like pulls up. She's like, I finally found you. And he's like, Who's this chick? Oh my gosh, did him and Kat get back together? Oh my gosh. I don't know. At this point, maybe, Arik. Or Dane. Dude, what if Violet and Zayden are not in game? What if Zayden is a Tamlin? I think Rebecca's confirmed that. It's not a Tamlin situation. Damn, that would be juicy. That would be very juicy. Imagine, like, he forgets, like, doesn't remember who she is anymore. She comes back, he's evil, doesn't remember her, and then she moves on, and then somehow he remembers, and he comes back, and she's like, has a whole life. Damn, that's kind of fucked up though. We're really getting into the theories today. We're like, what if this happened? What if this happened? Oh no. We gotta wait till 2027. We gotta speculate somewhere else. Freak. Yeah, we do. If we didn't have a podcast, I probably would have waited to read Onyx Storm until like Next year, just so I didn't have to wait for the next book to come out that long. His self restraint is crazy. Alright, let's get into our favorite notable moments. Guys, so my first favorite moment was, I hate You're selling usually, Kena. You're the one who like read about Redick during this section. And I know that you will, but I do agree that Riddick Kerry book, for sure. I love how Rebecca Yarrell writes her side characters and just makes her like the readers us love them just as much as the main ones. And I don't know. I can't get over this thing in the kitchen when the chef tries to snap Riddick, and he tells us how many. Like uniforms, jackets he has and how hard they are to clean, like literally exposed because he despises sewing. And it's just, I love it. Like he was so funny and just his comedic relief was very needed this book for sure. And I love that he was such a heavy part of this book. I love the scene. Absolutely. I'd marry Riddick before I marry Zayden. I don't know. I don't know about that. I know we would have a good time. Riddick and I could be best friends. Like we could be homeboys. I don't know if I could marry him though. Have you seen the fan art? I have, but I don't know. He's got that. He's got the res bro. He's got the job. He does. Got the charm and you'll be laughing your entire life. I don't know. I just see him more as like a brother, best friend, Bob. I don't know. He's just not my type. You know, he's not a aggressive. I'm climbing it like a tree. But my next, well, my favorite part about this stretch in general was just the bad ass that Violet was to stretch. Like, I just love like watching Violet become more confident throughout the series. And I think that this book, she finally understands just how powerful she was. Just like Kana was mentioning earlier, how Zayden was pointing out, like, even if she doesn't choose leadership, Taryn is literally a general of dragons. So like she. It's going to be put on the front lines regardless. And she's going to have to like be in front of people and be like the first because Taryn can't stand to be second. So like, I don't know, I just, she, I feel like this stretch, she really realized that how powerful she really is. And pretty much she's untouchable. And, um, they've always been saying since book one, that best guy of changes who you like the writers are at their core. And I think that it's been so cool to watch her change from like this year like week. Girl, it's like the most powerful writer to exist and it's been really cool because she's super confident and the whole dinner scene when she poisons Ferris and his family in the triumvirate was just so delicious and I ate it up. I love it. Yes, that was such a good scene. Oh, I've really loved seeing her grow these books especially like the aspect of her character development where she's been, you know, Bezigayath has been forging her into this cold weapon. And she's been having to like balance that with I'm a very compassionate person and I want to keep that part of myself. Yeah. Like I think one example that really stood out to me, the Stretch of Chapters was when Traeger got killed and she was the one that had to, like, thank them for it. And she said something in that Stretch of Chapters, like, in her internal monologue, she was like, Like, this is the weapon Baz Gayath has forged me to be in. Like, I get why they do this. So that I'm able in this moment to turn off my emotions and do this for what's best. Yeah. But I think it's so interesting because she does still have that compassion and everything, but she's also become that weapon and become the soldier. And I think that's such an interesting dynamic, especially because, I mean, if Baz Gayath had their way, like, I don't think they would promote compassion at all. Like, compassion and mercy, that doesn't go with Baz Gayath. So I love that she's actively trying to keep that part of herself, even when it's extremely difficult to do so. You know what I just thought about? What? I would love a book on, like, From like the flyers point of view, like about the flyers story and their, um, initiation process. Yes, I love it. I would love her to write some spinoffs. Yes, please. I need it. And I would love a spinoff of um, like Holden and Aric, like their childhood and like Holden and Violet's relationship. I wish she would just write us like a mini novella to get us through to book four. Yes! Please! Please! Please, please, please! Okay, my very favorite moments! René Grismaster! This man is guilty of stealing my heart! Again, the Stranger Things. Again. Count one! Count one. Punched a cook and yelled at him because he hates sewing. Count two, he has an ongoing prank war with his dragon and they basically have the same personality. Did not see that coming. Count three, gave Violet a much needed reality check and proved himself as a true friend once again. God, give this man a quest squad patch. He is going above and beyond. God, I just love him. So much! Every time I read this book and then I reread it again, I just love him even more. But my favorite moment of those three I just mentioned is definitely when he stood up for Violet and made her realize that there has to be a line that she won't cross, which is really good advice, and Violet definitely needed to hear it, because I'm tired of the, I'll ruin myself for you and never give up on you act, because it's delusional, and it's not healthy. Anyways, my second favorite moment is broccoli and parrots. I love broccoli. I love this cat and I am going to be devastated if he does not make an appearance again in the rest of the series. And We know nothing about Drake, except for him and Mira, you know, might do it in the future. But I'm just like, I love him even more knowing that he got a kitten at the Isle of Luck. And I'm even more dead that like, he's keeping him and protecting him. Just, oh, so cute. And when him and Mira were Arguing over his name. She was like, why not carrot? He's orange. I was just dying. And we get so few of their interactions, but I can just smell the tension. And you can't convince me that broccoli is on their child now. You know, that's their son. That's going to happen for sure. But it is time to close out our better brief and move on to the Book of Yesenia, where we will dive into the mythology that inspired Onyx Storm, as well as on a breakdown of all new Signets that we see in Onyx Storm. Feel free to skip ahead to the flight food, if you feel like you're already an expert. first we're going to discuss the iridescent dragons in mythology. So the closest representations of the iridescent dragons in Onyx Storm compared to mythology are the Hong dragons and the rainbow serpents. So the Hong dragons is from Chinese mythology and they're often called rainbow dragons and they have a shimmering multicolored scale and it's depicted with iridescent hues that mirror the rainbow. The rainbow serpent is from, And this serpent is, also has a shimmering rainbow hue and is often depicted as a very powerful and ancestral being. And the interpretation of iridescent scales is, iridescent scales are usually interpreted as a symbol of power, beauty, and connection to natural world. Essentially celestial phenomena. And for some reason, my brain was like, Hmm, what's a celestial phenomena? So I looked it up and celestial phenomena They're observable events or occurrences happening in the sky. Interesting. Sky you say? So I went back and kind of compared it to the Irids that we see on Xtorm and what we know so far because we still don't know a lot about them. So we know they have iridescent hues and they can blend in with their surroundings by changing to different colors. And they can take on preferred color shapes. And size and they even have like a preferred tail as we see with Andorna. She has her preferred, was it Scorpion Morningstar tail? Scorpion tail, yeah. Scorpion tail, that thing. it is believed that the Aries and Alex storm, they will from the sky. Hmm. Celestial phenomena? Question mark. And the Aries. What if they're connected to the gods somehow, maybe? I don't know. Celestial phenomena. Celestial phenomena. Phenomena. And the Eris and Anak Storm, they also value peace, and they're deeply connected to the balance of power. So, pretty interesting connections there. That's very, very interesting. I'm gonna bet that's where she got some of this inspired from. Sounds like it. Alright. Next we're going to cover, uh, just a discussion on all the new Signets that we get in this book. So let's start with Arik Malev. His Signet is Precognition, which grants him the ability to see into the future. It's kind of similar to General Malgorin's very specific Ability of battle foresight, but we see, especially towards the end of the book, he was able to add and save several massive parts of the plot at the end. and we didn't realize how this happened until Violet realized what he was a precog. So for example, when he pulled links out of the way of an open door, when he instructs Violet to save Dean's temple, and when he gives Violet the weapon to kill Theophany and when he sent Sloane to help save Mira, those are all things he contributed. Based on his signet and considering that saying it's strengthened over time. We're just scratching the surface of his abilities and the fact that he was able to do all of this and have such an impact is insane to me. Can't wait to see where this goes. I hope we actually get to learn more about like the house. Of like, just how it works. I want to know, like, how much access, like, how much control does he have over it? Cause, I need to know how limited it is, cause right now it's so powerful, and I feel like it does have to have limits. And I would like the limits explained to us, so I can factor that into the plot and all my theories. Okay, Dreamwalking. Miss Violet Sorengale, or should I say, Miss Violet Soren Ryerson. Okay. What were the, what were the ship names that Garrick said? He was like, Sorenson, Ryergale? Duchess of Tandor. Yes. So DreamWalking is a very unique and supposedly dangerous signet from Andarna that gives our FNC the power to enter into other characters dreams and witness whatever they're seeing. And she's also able to meddle in these dreams. So she can speak to the dreamer and affect events in the dreams, which. Whoa, big implication there. Part of what makes it so dangerous is that the Sagan is a type that others can't shield themselves from it. And their most vulnerable state, which is sleep and likely, unless she goes around meddling in super obvious ways, they'll likely probably never know that she's in their brain. But I do think there is an equivalent in the Sage, like someone that also has a similar ability. And I'm wondering if she will have to enter his head to get the answers, but. It could be scary, like maybe she would get trapped in his head, or he would know she's there and she's like face off against him in the dream world to get that. To get access to the information she needs. Oh, so many possibilities, but I'm excited to see where it goes. Okay, this is another signet that was just breezed over, but it is a new one to us. So it's an aggregarian. So Battleaxe, aka Kylan, who is the member of the Aresian Council, has her signet reveal this book. She can manipulate plants and nature, which is actually really cool. And they just like totally breezed over it. So we don't really know much about this ability, the extent of it, but super awesome. Just pondering the implications right off the bat, she could possibly use it, like, in a more utilitarian manner, like speeding the growing of crops, providing supplies, stuff like that to help in the war effort, or possibly use plants as weapons, so kind of like a Poison Ivy vibe, that's what I'm getting. And, so those are the three biggest new, newest, newest thing that Those are the three newest Signets we've gotten in Onyx Storm. I do want to do, before we end our coverage, is another segment in the future discussing Signets that have evolved to new Depths of Power. For example, we saw like new Depths of Stormwielding power from Theophany that we didn't see from Lilith. And then Riddick is also like mastering his Ice power in a way that no one has before. So I do want to talk about those and discuss them in the future. And maybe Ponder the implications of how powerful some of our other characters signets could be if they just honed them a little more. So, be on the lookout for that in the future. Moving on, time to head to the flight field where every week Kena and I will do two unique, two mini series uniques to our podcast. It won't be the same every week, so keep tuning in for all the fun. Today, we're going to do AI roasts that Kena came up with. Well, ex AI. And then we're going to do Who Am I's. Okay, this is actually The funniest thing I've ever done is ask AI to roast the characters. I didn't know that AI knew enough about the books from like, I guess what they pull from the internet to create some solid, savage roasting. I was dying. Cause I would like ask it like, can you do Dane next? And they were like, Oh, this guy does not know what's coming. Let's scorch this fool. Okay. So first we're going to do. Dane, we love you now, but this is like the bitch slap that you received in this chapter. This is going to be therapeutic for all of us. Yes. All right. So I asked AI to roast Dane Atos and this is what we got. I'm gonna try and go through it without laughing, but it's probably gonna be impossible. Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, let's talk about Dane hands on in the worst way Atos. The man, the myth, the walking disappointment. If there were an Olympic event for doing the absolute least while still managing to piss everyone off, this man would be a gold medalist. From day one, Dane had one job, be a best friend. Instead, he took it upon himself to be Violet's Unsolicited father figure, personal babysitter, and wet blanket extraordinaire. This man acted like Violet was made of glass while simultaneously underestimating her harder than a boomer trying to use an iPhone. Newsflash, Dane, she's the Sorengale here, not you. She didn't need your patronizing protection, your condescending lectures, or worst of all, your sneaky little memory stealing party trick. That's right. Dane out here treating Violet's forehead like a Google search bar, swiping information like a petty thief in broad daylight. And the worst part, he really thought he was the good guy. Sir, the only thing you're good at is being a grade A douche canoe. Also, let's talk about how this man had zero game. I mean, he had a literal decade to make a move, and what did he do? Friend zoned himself into irreverence. Meanwhile, Zayden walks in, says two words, and suddenly Violet's ready to commit full blown treason for him. Dane, my dude, you weren't just losing, you weren't even in the game. And yet, instead of taking that L with grace, you doubled down by acting like Violet's choices were your business. Spoiler alert! They were not. By the time he finally realized he messed up, it was too late. Violet had upgraded, the squad had moved on, and Dane was left standing there like a Windows XP loading screen. Honestly, it couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy. Final verdict, Thanatos, you are the human embodiment of a wet sock. Good luck redeeming yourself, buddy, because right now you're just an NPC in Violet's main quest. Well, he did redeem himself, but I will say, hilarious. Oh my gosh, using her forehead as a Google search is crazy. I want to know who's been talking shit to AI about these characters, because somebody had to tell them this. I think it pulls stuff from the internet it can find, but also, well I have a count on there so it remembers everything I tell it, and a lot of times I'll put in my synopsis to it, to come up with episode titles, and so I think it's, cause it said douchecanay, which is a word that I use explicitly, and they said that, I was like, oh they're, I think they're roasting him based off the information I already gave them. Damn. Which, they did good. Yes. Oh my god. You get to read the Halden one. That's probably my favorite. All right. Halden. You deserve everything this AI bot wrote about you. Ladies, gentlemen, and dragons, let's talk about Halden, aka His Highness, Lord of Bad Decisions and Petty Behavior. If arrogance, stupidity, and sheer entitlement had a baby, it would be this royal waste of space. Halden is the type of guy who thinks being a walking red flag makes him mysterious instead of intelligent. Insufferable. Spoiler alert, it's insufferable. This man had the absolute gall to walk into King Courtland's palace, acting like he has the main character. He was main character when in reality, he was nothing more than a side villain with daddy issues and remarkable lack of self awareness. Like sir, you showed up to broker an alliance and somehow managed to get yourself kidnapped instead. How that is a level of incompetence that should be studied. And let's not even talk about the petty ex boyfriend behavior. My guy really thought he was doing something when he handed over that tender blade to Courtland. Like, yeah, I'll take this knife. Your majesty. Oh, did I mention it belonged to my ex girlfriend's new man? Oh, you really showed them all then. So, Petty and weaponized insecurity was a military strategy. Holden would be leading an army. Oh, and then he had the audacity to act like he had some master plan. When in reality, all he did was steal Navarrian treasures, get caught immediately, and then throw a tantrum when it backfired. my dude really thought he was about, he was out here playing 40 chess when in reality he was losing a game of connect four against himself and on top of it all. And to top it off, the man literally caused a diplomatic incident. he got a head served on a platter. Bon appetit, dumbass. And almost got everybody killed. The bon appetit dumbass is what really set me. And what was his reaction? A full blown 10th. Tenth Pretend Room. This wasn't just a mistake. This was a career ending failure. If Zayden Violet hadn't been there to clean up his royal mess, Alden's next title wouldn't have been Prince of Tyrandore. It would have been dead guy number three in Courtland's throne room. Final verdict, Alden, you are the human equivalent of a broken shopping cart. Loud, obnoxious, and going into the completely wrong direction. I hope Tyrandore is prepared to deal with the mess that is you. Bro. The comparison to a shovel cart is crazy. I mean, literally, they didn't even need to like come up with new shit to roast him. They just basically explained what he did. Yes, I definitely can see like the little tidbits of the stuff you probably said about him, because this definitely sounds like some stuff that you would say. I think the AI bot is studying me. Okay, the last roast we're going to do, because it's therapeutic as well, cartilages. It's so good. Ah, yes. Colonel Atos, the proud owner of the Worst Parenting Award and Most Punchable Face at Buzzguide. If you thought Dane was bad, let me introduce you to the source code of his incompetence. This man is basically a brick wall in military boots with zero emotional intelligence and the charisma of a damp towel. Colonel Atos really woke up every morning and thought, how can I be the absolute worst today? And let me tell you, he succeeded. He did. Every. Single. Time. This man treated Violet like she was a problem to be solved, rather than, oh, I don't know, the reason his entire army wasn't dead yet? Like, sir, have you considered shutting the hell up for once and appreciating the fact that your son's best friend was out here keeping your soldiers alive? But no, instead of acknowledging Violet's literal war altering contributions, Atos was too busy being a misogynistic, condescending, power hungry, egotistical little troll. Damn. Don't even get me started on how he treated his own son. No wonder Dane turned out the way he did. Colonel Atos basically raised him in an emotional chokehold. You're not allowed to think for yourself, you're not allowed to make mistakes, you're not allowed to question authority, my dude. Dane is a fully grown man, non AI system, running off daddy's control issues 2. 0. And despite all that, the colonel still managed to be disappointed in him every turn. Imagine setting the bar that low for your son and still thinking he can't reach it. And let's, Not forget how this man sided with the enemy instead of acknowledging that Violet and Company were literally saving Noir's ass. The Venon could be outside his front door and Colonel Atos would still be like, you know who the real threat is? My son's ex best friend. Sir. Be. For. Real. The only thing more useless than you are is the rules you blindly follow while the world burns around you. Final verdict, Colonel Atos is a walking cautionary tale of what happens when a fragile male ego is given too much power. He's the kind of man who would drown in knee deep water because he's too proud to stand up. Irrelevant, overrated, and a disgrace to whatever remaining brain cells he has. Cheese. I wanted to add more, but I thought that would be too much because they're pretty long rows. I did ask it to roast Barish and Solace. I asked it, I was like, do you have the audacity to roast his one eyed dragon? And A, I was like, girl, I've already got it ready for you. I lucky, I lucky when I asked it to roast Taryn just to see what it would say. Oh, I did. It was pretty funny. It was all about how he's so superior. His family line, blah, blah, blah. I'll have to send it to you. I think I took a screenshot of it. Okay. Well, we should definitely do this in the future for it. Yes. So good. Alright. Should we do some Who Am I? Yas. It's too late. I need to pull up some of my fun. You wanna go first, bruh? Yeah. Oh, fuck. I already told you this one. Oh, well. Alright, this quote is Why Not Carrots. Oh, Mira. Yeah. That was way squeezy. Well, to be fair, my first one is, my first one is easy, too. Mine is, I hate sewing. Friddick, obviously. Does it say that? Okay, the next one. I am busy with curmudgeonly things. Hmm cat what who does violet call curmudgeon all the time? I don't know tern. Do you know what a curmudgeon? Yeah Do you know what a curmudgeon is? It's like a grumpy old man, I think I thought for sure you would get that. Nah, I think I missed the whole curmudgeon inside joke with them too All right, as far as i'm concerned you have the credibility of a drunker and the integrity of a rat Oh my god, Violet. Tamarkim. I love that. Damn, we're gonna have to make that harder next time. That's too easy. Well, it's time to get the trivia, which will hopefully be harder for you, not for me. For you. Okay. Before we close out this episode, we're going to spar each week, Kenzie and I are going to give each other and you guys are listeners to trivia questions. So let us know if you get it right or wrong. And at the end of our Onyx Storm coverage, the loser. Whoever has the least amount of points will have to do something embarrassing or funny or silly or goofy that the winner or you guys as fans can suggest as well. So definitely give us some ideas. We're getting closer to the end and I'm winning. So let me, uh, let me know what you think Kenzie should do. Why me? Why not you? Gotta catch me first. Alright, first question. What is the name of Talia's maid that cares for her two younger sons? Damn. Oh damn, that's a good one. Can I get a hint? What letters? Damn, I feel like this is gonna be easy. I would like to phone a friend. Okay, it starts with E. And yeah, that's the only name, I don't even think that's a name, it's just, yeah. Elizabeth? No. Definitely not. That's not an Imperian name. It's Elda. Elda? Stupid ass name. I'm scared. Yay, okay, you win that one. I feel like I always get your first question wrong and your second question right. Yeah. Okay, what are the citizens of the Isle of Zinal called? The hill. You know how, like, we're called Americans because we live in America? Okay. What are the people that live on the islands in all called? You got this. Xenolians. Pfft. Um, Xelnians. Xel Xel Xel Xelni's. Lucky's. Lucky dudes, man. They're called, they're called the Xelni. Aw shit. I basically said that after that S. Anyways. I'll give you a quarter of a point. Nah, it's ok. Xelni's. You want my pity points? Nah, you're good. This is easy, I feel like. Gimme gimme gimme. What is the name of Talia's two younger sons? Fuuuck! I don't know. Thomas and Brad. No. Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on. Can I get the letters? One starts with a G and one starts with a S. There we go. there we little sneaky snake That's my final answer. it's Simon. I give up Simonian Simon Simonian. Gaius. Stupid ass name. Sonia! Gaius! Oh my god. Okay. What gift did Garak receive at the Isle of Zinal? Garak? Mm hmm. Okay, wait. Let me go through these. They ain't got a slap. Violet got a compass, Traeger's dead, Drake got the paw, the paw, oh the claw, the claw, and Garrick got, what the hell did Garrick get, hold on, hmm, was it an object that he could keep? I mean if he wants, I wouldn't, it's um, rusty? Rusty? It's probably gonna confuse you more than anything, but it's true. Rusty. A nail? What? Rusty? The fuck? It was. If you give up. Wait. Wait. Wait. It was rusty. You wouldn't want to keep it. What is it? I don't know. It's a rusted steel bucket. Oh, I don't remember that at all. I would never got that. It was just like, it was like going into detail about what everyone got and it was like, Garrett got a rusted steel bucket and that's all it said. Oh, okay. I was like, I don't remember that at all. Okay. Well, damn, we both failed that. We both failed that. I just knew we were going to get the names. Dude, I epically failed. I'm always risking it when I'm asking about names. That's a wrap on Onyx Storm deep dive number four. We're so happy you tuned in today. Thank you so much for being here. Join us next Thursday as we continue our deep dive into Onyx Storm. We'll be going over chapters 46 through 56. Well, it really does mean the world to us to hear feedback from you guys. So before you go today, please leave us a review. Tell us what you think about the show. And then also check out our socials. Check out all our Onyx Storm content. Lots of good stuff on there at Shadow and Starlight Pod, or message us if you want to talk about books, or leave us a comment on I think YouTube and Spotify, you can leave comments. 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