Quicksilver and Brimstone Discussion

We were originally planning on a deep dive of both books. Why didn’t we stick to our plan? You’re about to find out. In this episode Tabitha and Tyra are discussing their thoughts on Quicksilver and Brimstone. They both received a lot of hype on BookTok… Was it worth all the hype? We have some opinions on that. 🫣

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

So Quicksilver had a ton of hype on Book Talk. We were really excited to start this series and be able to cover it on the podcast with a lot of deep dives.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

In our opinion, though, it did not live up to the hype. Hey book lovers, welcome to TNT Book Bookhaven.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

Where we dive deep into the books that keep us up way too late.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

I'm Tyra, the first TNT and T, a chaotic, free-spirited mama lapping all the time with a TBR that never stopped growing.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

And I'm Tabitha, T number two, organized type A mama, suspense junkie. And yes, my TBR pile is officially out of control.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

So today we were going to be starting our two-part deep dive of Quicksilver, but after finishing Quicksilver and starting Brimstone, we've decided to nix this deep dive.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Yeah, we wanted to get into our thoughts and opinions on what we read. So grab your drink, get cozy, and let's get into it.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

So this book definitely gives dark and intense romanticy vibes from the start. So we could tell that we there was gonna be something happening. Something was gonna be crazy in this book. Yes. But Tabby, going into this, what was your first impression going in?

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Well, I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I have not read a lot of fantasy books. Pretty much fourth the fourth wing series is is my only uh dipping my toes into that. So that's kind of what I was expecting was fourth wing vibes, um, like the traditional fantasy world. Um, but this one, it definitely felt, I don't know, like it just felt darker and moodier. Um, I was intrigued at first, curious to see what was gonna happen with the story. But um, yeah, what were your first impressions?

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Um, I mean, I definitely I don't know that I felt like it was gonna be anything like Fourth Wing or any of like Sarah J. Mass's writings, but I knew that it was going to be a romantic, and I was interested in that because I like romantic books. Um, but yeah, I I think you know, I was worried because I'm in love with the Empering Empyrean series. Um, and I love Sarah J. Mass's book, so I was definitely worried going into this.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Yeah, and like we said at the very beginning, it it was this series was very hyped on book talk. So I think we were both excited, and um especially for me, I like I said, I haven't read a lot of fantasy, so I was like, I hope this is just another one of those ones where it you kind of just get hooked. Um, so with this one, I know we mentioned already that we're we decided to not do the deep dive, so I'm sure it's pretty apparent that we didn't really love these books, but from the beginning, like were you hooked right away, or did it take a minute for you to kind of get invested in the story?

SPEAKER_00 3:23

Um, I it took a minute for me to get invested into the story. I mean, it was one of those books where like I was interested in what was going to be happening next, but I didn't need to like lose sleep over it.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Yeah, it wasn't a page turner by any means. Um, because same for me, it took me a minute to really care about what was going on in the story. Um I was intrigued, I'll say. Yeah. Um, like the character seemed interesting, um, but it was not an immediate hook for me by any means. It was it was sadly a little bit more of a chore to get through the chapters and and get to the next parts of the story. Um and the chapters are extremely long chapters. Yes. And I feel like I've said that in past episodes. That is one of my biggest pet peeves. I just struggle. There's some sort of like mental block when you read a book that you can't see. It's like yeah, if you're on Kindle and you see like three minutes till the end of the chapter, it's like, oh, cool, I can power through this. And I was reading this one on Kindle and it'd be like 37 minutes.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

And like, and I was like, there's no way I'm finishing this chapter. I'm just going to bed now. Like I was staying up late trying to finish the chapter, and it just wasn't possible.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

No, it's just too there. I really, and I don't know if everybody's like that, but it is some sort of mental thing for me where I'm like, I I need it to be shorter chapters. It doesn't even matter if it's the if the book is the same length, if it is shorter chapters, I feel like I finish it so much quicker and I have so much more like gusto to get to get to the end of the chapter. But when you see that on there, that visual, and even if you're reading on in a physical book, when if when I do that and I'm like flipping pages, I'm like, okay, only 10 more pages. Or if you're flipping pages and you're like, it's like it's still going.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

It's still going.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Yes, it's like a thick stack of pages. It just you lose your momentum. It just it was a it was a mental thing for sure with this one.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

I think that even like I don't mind a chapter being extremely long as long as I'm invested into it. As long as I'm like, oh yeah, I have to keep reading because I want to know what happens.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Um like the story is making you turn the pages. Yeah, sadly, this one was not, that was not the case.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

No, no, it was not.

SPEAKER_02 6:01

Well, and I know you have a lot more experience in the fantasy world, but with this book in particular, did the writing style work for you? Like from what you loved about uh Rebecca Yarros's writing and Sarah J. Mass's writing in their fantasy. What what did you have? Well, like, what were your thoughts on the writing style in this book?

SPEAKER_00 6:26

I feel like like I I have gotten really into fantasy in general. I mean, I loved the Harry Potter books, I love the Empyrean series, I love Sarah J. Mass's Avatar, and I've only read the first book of Crescent City, so I love that one. But um and The Throne of Glass, like those are absolutely amazing. So I definitely have gotten into fantasy quite a bit. Um, because I was previously like, I don't know if I'll like fantasy. Um so I'm but I'm very happy that I started with those books because if I were to start with Quicksilver to try to get into fantasy, it wouldn't work for me. I really I like I think that Kelly Hart is a brilliant person and I think she did an amazing job. I mean, obviously it took hold of a lot of people and a lot of people really enjoyed it. I just don't think it was something that like I just don't think it was something that was as good as let's say like Fourth Wing, Avatar.

SPEAKER_02 7:48

Yeah, I agree. I think that the the writing itself, like I think she did a really good job of letting you visualize like what was happening and what the characters looked like and what the scene looked like and all of that. I I do think that she did a really good job of writing the book. I just feel like it was like the story didn't really hit me and the or flow extremely well. Yeah, it just it I yeah, I agree that if this was a note, I've said it, the fourth wing, that fourth wing series is the first thing that I've experienced in like the romanticy world, but I think if Quicksilver would have been my first book in that world, I don't know that I would have been picking very any other fantasy. No, it it it already took a lot of convincing from you for me to start Fourth Wing. And once I did, I was like pretty much immediately hooked. Um Yeah, you read those books like so fast. They are they are so awesome, and I I feel like that is another one that's really, really hyped on book talk that I actually think is appropriately hyped, and I see so many things where people are like, oh, this is overhyped. And I'm like, I I mean to each their own. I think everybody has the right to their own opinion. Um just like our opinion about this one. Yes, and Quicksilver. I know that a lot of people really loved it, and sadly for me, it just it just wasn't it. Um, I don't feel like I'm a huge uh prude, but I feel like a I probably am a little bit more on the conservative side when it comes to um reading the more like intimate yes, where it's like it just makes me a little uncomfortable, especially when it feels like it's unnecessary to the story. Um, I think that like in Fourth Wing, it was when there were different scenes like that, it it impacted, there was like a reason for it. Like it impacted the the storyline and um the powers and different like the magic stuff that was happening. And sadly with Quicksilver, um it just I it didn't really have that same, it just almost felt like it was in there just to be in there. Um, and that's just not it's just not my cup of tea. I know that that probably makes me sound like very uh prudish and and goodie two shoes, but I'm like it just I don't love that, and I know that a lot of people really do, so I I feel like that is probably a not so popular opinion, but that was one of the things with this book that it was just like yeah, not I don't know, it just it just wasn't wasn't my favorite.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Yeah, I think like I don't mind smut being in a book. Um but like it felt like it was just overbearing uh especially with Brimstone.

SPEAKER_02 11:01

Yes, and that's kind of what we wanted to get into because our initial plan um with these episodes is we were gonna do a deep dive on Quicksilver and break it into two parts and just do two really in-depth episodes to cover the book and go over everything. Um and after we finished Quicksilver and started Brimstone, it became very apparent that we're having a love. Yes, and I think I made it to chapter 12, I believe, of Brimstone. And we've mentioned this on previous episodes where we we do not DNF books, we are very much a stick it out, we want to give it its its credit and and see where the story goes, and we feel really bad for for quitting a book. And I honestly, I don't know that I've ever DNF'd a book in the past. I I don't think I have. I think I've just kind of gritted my teeth and I'm like, I'm just gonna, I just need to finish it. And we both um we both sadly did DNF Brimstone. It it was it was not in the cards for us to finish.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

No, it was it was I mean, not only are the chapters long, but it's either thinking about smut, the smut happening, and it's like why, and I was listening on audiobook just to try to get through some stuff, and I'm like, why am I listening to 30 minutes of this?

SPEAKER_02 12:40

Yes, where it just like we said, it seems unnecessary. Yeah. And um, one thing I will give credit to, so I read Quicksilver on Kindle. Um, so no audio on that one, and uh I thought it was fine. I thought the story was was decent, and I was excited to see what happened in Brimstone and like see how the story continued. Um, and so then when I got to Brimstone, I ended up picking that up on Audible. And credit to the people who were narrating that because I think that they did fantastic. They had such great, like, I don't know, they just they they portrayed the characters really well.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

And um there's they really did like like enunciating it, enunciating and like making you feel like you're in the story very well. Yes, yep, and they did a great job.

SPEAKER_02 13:37

I I'm sure, yeah, I'm sure that if you've listened to anything on audiobook um that's not like a self-help inspirational book, um usually, at least the ones that I've listened to, when there's a male and female character, they will have the same person voicing it. And then the woman just like makes her voice deeper and like the dude. It's like it's very awkward. And with this one, they the people that they got to voice the characters were really, really good. They did a great job, and I I will give that full credit. I think that the audiobooks on these are great if you like the story. Um yeah, so yeah, I will I will say that. Um, but just to give a quick summary of Quicksilver, um kind of just talking about what happens in the book, just a really quick overview. And then we did want to kind of get into what so obviously what the book was about, talk about the characters a little bit, what we liked and disliked, and just be able to give our opinions on a few different things, just so that if you are looking at reading these books, we don't want to give away any spoilers, but we just want to give our opinions and um see that you're informed before you pick these up and um decide to read them for yourself.

SPEAKER_00 15:09

So um, so the book follows Sarah Spain. Um gosh, without spoilers, without spoilers, without spoilers, um, where she is human and she is in Zilvarin. And then she finds herself um traveling to a different realm, to a fee realm. Um, and while there she meets a guy named King Fisher.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

And yeah, pretty much follows their story relationship, yeah, how they get to know each other, um, the different struggles that they face because there's a war going on, and um obviously with it being fantasy, there's powers and different things that are happening that without giving spoilers, there there's just things that are going on in the background that need to be addressed in order for Ceres to be able to get back to her family in the in the human realm. Yes. Um but so there's vampires and the Fay are the fairies, but they're they're not like little winged people tall and um very massive creatures with pointed ears and um yeah, there's there's honestly a lot of really great characters in this book, and that is one of the things that I actually really enjoyed is the supporting characters because they're amazing. Yeah, there's a couple where I think they they are actually the ones that made me really enjoy the story. There's a a supporting character named Carrion who is he's also from where Ceres is from, and he ends up being intertwined in this story. Um, but he adds a lot of comic yes, comic relief and is just very likable and and funny. So he is he's definitely a a really good part of the book. Um yeah, there's just there are there are a lot of supporting characters that I do think makes the story better. So I will give kudos to Callie Hart on that for sure. I think she did a great job of building almost like a community around these main characters that made the story really, really uh mean mean it meant more.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Yeah, I agree. I think without the supporting characters, this book would not be a book.

SPEAKER_02 18:12

No, not at all. And I think a lot of books focus so heavily on the main couple, like the whether it's friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, uh, whatever, like it's always about those two, and the supporting characters are very slightly thrown into the story just to add a little bit of depth. And I think in Quicksilver it was very apparent that they had a lot to do with the plot.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

Yes, absolutely. Carrion, he's so freaking funny.

SPEAKER_02 18:45

Yeah, he was my favorite for sure.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

He was my favorite too, and Onyx the fox. Yes, yes, sweet little Onyx. Um, well, what parts of Quicksilver did you enjoy?

SPEAKER_02 18:59

I will say, kind of just tying back into that, I think that the interactions with the supporting characters like Carrie and all of the stuff that he was in was enjoyable to read and at had a lot of lightheartedness and and humor. Um, and then there's another uh supporting character, Renfiss, and I I really liked him as well. I think that he he was very loyal and kind and sweet. Um so I will say there were certain parts of the books that I really enjoyed where you are kind of trying to understand where the story's going and why things are happening the way that they are, and why are the vampires there and what's gonna happen and all of this stuff where um the story does make sense and I think that's that's a good part of it. I I guess on your your end, is there anything else about the book that we haven't mentioned that you really enjoyed?

SPEAKER_00 20:04

I think just I know that the first part was slower. I did enjoy reading the second part of Quicksilver. Um it was, you know, I enjoyed reading what was happening and what was going on and everything. And truly, when the book did end, I was like, oh my gosh, I want to know what happens now.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

Um Yeah, we I was really excited to get into Brimstone because, like you just said, the first part of Quicksilver, and these books are not small. Um, they are they're pretty, pretty lengthy. So to have the first half be much slower and kind of drug out, and then once it picked up, it's like, okay, now I'm excited to get into Brimstone and see what what this is actually all about. Um, so it was disappointing to get into Brimstone. It's like, hmm, I just think we're gonna call it.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

And I don't even think like like with Brimstone, like I was curious about what was happening, but I think what got too much for me is like I said, I was listening to it on Audible, and I'm like, I don't want to listen to 30 minutes of that.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

I like it was very unnecessary on the smut level where it just like I think I said this just a little while ago, it was just there just to be there. It didn't seem like it added much of anything to the story.

SPEAKER_00 21:25

Like well, it was either like being thought of or happening, and yes, like I feel like that kind of overshadowed a lot of like what was actually the actual story, yes, yeah, yes. But no, I mean I might dive into Brimstone again later just because I hate DNFing books.

SPEAKER_02 21:49

Like I like I hate that it's a very difficult decision, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

So I might dive into it later, but as of right now, it felt like a chore for me to even try to read. It so I think I'm gonna have to be ready to go back into that world before going back into it. Like I wanna, I was I honestly when I set down Brimstone, I was very happy to dive into a different book.

SPEAKER_02 22:13

Yeah, and I think that's what made it very clear that we that's kind of why we shifted gears here. Of our original plan with doing two-part deep dives on both books would have been four episodes of this podcast. And it's like that's a month of our time just focused on these books that we didn't really love. And the whole reason why we started this podcast was to talk about books that we love.

SPEAKER_01 22:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

So it's like it just wasn't, it didn't, it didn't spark joy.

SPEAKER_00 22:48

I do have to say, to give it credit, like making us decide not to do the two-part deep dive, I feel like it definitely has made us think and consider what our episodes have been. And I think it has helped us to reshaping what we want our podcast to be.

SPEAKER_02 23:13

Yes, definitely. That is one thing. Thank you, Callie Hart and Quicksilver, for making us sit down and think about what we want our plan to be moving forward with the podcast, because I do think that we have tried so many different things. If you've listened to any of our other episodes and are still here with us, or if this is your first episode, thank you for being here. But uh if you've listened to anything else, I think you've realized that we've tried a lot of different things, a lot of different intros and discussion topics and um, I mean, just all kinds of stuff to try to see what really works for us and what really makes us enjoy this. And the reason why we started this is because we're best friends. And before we started this podcast, this is what we would talk about is the books that we're reading and the things that we liked and didn't like, and just literally talking about all things books and having so much fun having those conversations with each other. So that is pretty much our plan moving forward. We're gonna have one more episode after this coming out. So this, yeah, this will be out on the 17th, and then we'll have one more the following week um with some exciting stuff as far as uh Rebecca Yarros goes, just uh wink wink hint hint at what our next episode might be about. Um, but we are gonna be taking a a short little break and coming back with pretty much a completely different format and plan. And the biggest thing that we are excited about is we are gonna start a book club on Fable. Super excited um to have a place to just really connect with everybody. Um, for the few listeners that we have, and hopefully a lot more listeners in the future. We want to have one book a month that we are focusing on reading together, being able to chat in Fable. If you've never heard of that, it's an app that you can download where you can't. Yeah, you can track your reading and join these book clubs and read along and have community and conversation with other people who are reading the same book as you. And that's really our goal is to have a I mean, our whole thing is like this is your cozy little corner of the internet and your safe haven and a place where busy moms can come and have a a breather. And that's exactly what we want this book club to be is to have a space where you can connect with other busy moms who are in the same phase of life that you are and just enjoy a good book together.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

Yes, absolutely. And we'll definitely we'll be posting regarding that book club, and we'll continuously be posting to keep you guys updated and keep you guys um knowing what we're going to be when we're going to be picking back up after our short break.

SPEAKER_02 26:29

Yes. Um, but yeah, just all over on our social media pages. Um, feel free to follow us on there because then you can keep informed with what what we have going on. But we're excited to to take a short little break and then get back to honestly just having more fun with these. Um, because like we said, just one book a month. So that'll be one episode covering that book and just having these these chats together. And then the rest of the episodes for the month literally just being fun episodes about everything books, all kinds of different chats and discussions and just fun conversations.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

But if you've loved hanging out with us, don't forget to follow TNT Bookhaven and leave us a review. It truly means the world to us.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

And also, I know we already mentioned it, but please come chat with us over on social media. We are on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook as TNT Bookhaven, and it is T A N T, so A N D. A N D T. So the and is spelled out. Um, but yes, T and T Bookhaven, please come come hang out with us. But until next time, stay cozy and happy reading, book lovers. Bye. Bye.