Ep 5 ACOTAR: Chapters 25-28

[MUSIC] >> Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Fantasy Fangirls podcast where two sisters dive deep into beloved fantasy lore character series and more. >> Thank you for joining us for today's episode where we're covering chapters 25 through 28 of a court of thrones and roses by Sarah J. Mass. But before we begin this episode, please listen closely to our content warning while we're focusing today's discussion on chapters 25 through 28 and book one. We are going to bring in themes for shadowing lore and other insights across the series. So yes, these episodes are spoiler central for the whole AkaTara series. These AkaTara deep dives do not, however, include spoilers for the rest of Sarah J. Mass's series. And also there's no mass for today's episode. So with all of that said, if you don't know why Reese's this is the most fun I've had in ages, it's way harder on a reread than please go finish the series. We will be here when you're done. Next, of course, we have to say we a fantasy fan girls are adults who say adult things about adult books. In other words, folks, this podcast is rated R. We get our one and only succinct in this book. And if you think we're going to analyze every single moment of this man bear pig, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, you'd be correct. So please be mindful of little listening ears. Last thing before we jump into our AkaTara deep dive episode five, if you love fantasy fan girls and you are loving this AkaTara journey, if you want more content, more community connection, even more events and a book club discounted merch, early access to ad free episodes and more, please check out our Patreon. We have two membership tiers, the Valkyries for $5 a month and the high pay for $10 a month. Join the Patreon party at patreon.com/fantasyfangirls. The link is also in our show notes or YouTube caption, depending where you're tuning in right now. And really and truly, thank you so much for supporting the show, for supporting Nicole and I. It means the absolute world as we make this our livelihood. And it's all because of you. Thank you. And now it is time for the spring court summer front party. That's the jellyfish jam song from Spongebob's friends. I was like, wow, what is this theme music? Well friends Nicole is also going to open up this discussion with a summary of what happens in chapters 25 through 28. So gather round friends, we need an inner circle debrief. Chapter 25, "Favor wakes up to May pulls, fiddling and flowers galore. It's a summer solstice party." It also turns out that this is a party that Fara got an invite to. Huzzah! Fara dulled up and looking positively. Fae rolls up to this shindig, but Lucian being ever the protector warns her not to drink the fairy wine. This will shock everyone though. Fara does indeed drink it. But this is no frat party jungle juice as fireworks set off inside her. She begins to dance to the music. Oh well Lucian plays drunk babysitter helping her avoid running into things. This sounds like the frat party I'm familiar with. But who's that fiddle player? It's a rotten scutten Timmy Tam who's having the fiddle solo of his life. After Fae wrote dances and dances like she's the dance soloist and fiddleer on the roof, Tamlin sets the fiddle down to take Fae were to the meadow and view the will of the wisps and has a much more private dance party. And then Tamlin and Fae were finally shared their first kiss where Fae were this response is. That's it. Not the response you want, Timmy Tam. But these two watch the sunrise together and Fae were remarks how it is the happiest moment of her human life. Give it a few hundred pages Fae were. Chapter 26. The next day the three are in the dining room. Hope you enjoyed that because that's the last time we'll be saying that on this podcast for this book. The three party animals are eating breakfast and teasing each other about their previous nights whereabouts. But Lucian, ready to dump a bucket of winter cold water? Oh over them. Tell Tamlin that they received a letter from the winter court and that the blight took out 24 young wings breaking into their minds and killing them. Their morning is quickly cut off though because Tamlin starts snarling at the front door. Down boy. Tamlin tells Lucian to hide Fae and glamors her making her invisible to this new threat. And who enters but the tall night kissed beautiful stranger who saved her on Calamie. Welcome back to the chat. Resand. This swaggering high-female begins taunting Tamlin about doing nothing over the past 49 years to save the spring court. Well, but Lucian, Lucian fights back seems appropriate, spitting at Reese that he's Amorantha's whore, reprimanding him a little Lucian. Reese asks if that's any way to speak to a high lord of Prithian, record scratch. High lord? Yep, favor up, meet the high lord of the night court. Tamlin tells Reese to leave it alone because he'll see him soon enough and Reese and goes to leave. But, Reese has a record scratch moment of his own, noticing there's a third spot set up at the table. Taking away the glamor, Reesean stares at his future mate with fury and a hint of something else. Lucian tells Reese that Fae is his betrothed and Reese is like hold my beer a little Lucian and begins to taunt Fae. Taking control of her mind and reading every delicious slot she's had about Tamlin. Not a good look for our bat boy. Tamlin tells Reese to let her go and Reesean seeing the opportunity makes Tamlin and Lucian get on their knees and beg. Turning to leave, Reese selfishly has one more question. What's your name, love? Fae were response with the first name she can think of. Claire, better. Womp, womp. And Reesean vanishes, leaving our trio in stunned silence. Chapter 27, in bed. Fae were unable to sleep, both from wondering about this Amarantha person and also from the absolute havoc that Tamlin is causing downstairs. Maybe that's why we're never in the dining room again because I'm pretty sure there's no dining room left. Tamlin comes in and he's got some bad news. He's sending Fae were home. Fae were as shook as she was just starting to settle into the spring court vibes. When she protests, he tells her that there's dangers and prithian that would hurt her and he cannot keep her safe. Fae were still not convinced though, continues to fight against Tamlin's words asking how long she'll be away. Tamlin concedes not forever. Pinocchio, your nose is growing. And even though Fae were nose its alive, she begins kissing him, pulling him onto the bed and. ♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪ I said a bang, bang, bang, bang, bang ♪ They fall asleep and waking back up, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang ♪ One more time! Save her this moment because that'll be a while before I say those words again. Finally, Tamlet's like, "Woman, I need to sleep." Tamlet admits that he's sending her away tomorrow. This is not the Annie song I signed up for. Falling asleep in each other's arms, Tamlet breathes on to Favour's neck that he loves her. Thorns and all, but don't worry, he's gone the next day when she wakes up. Chapter 28. The next morning, Alice dresses Favour in the furthest of human outfits. Lucien sees Favour out and not one for a heart fault goodbye. He bids her farewell with a, "I thought you were smarter than this." Woff. Tamlet joins the goodbye train, helping her into the carriage and telling her that he will see her again, and that he loves her and Favour. Looking into his eyes has the eye-love you ready for him? It's on the tip of her tongue. But she holds back. A while later, after a nipity nap, she's back in the human realm, coming face to face with her huge house and her sisters. Hoo, after not even recognizing her, are shocked to see Favour who was supposed to be with their long-lost aunt, assuming that aunt now to be dead and that she left Favour her whole fortune. Favour realizes with a heavy heart that this is all Tamletam's doing, and how much he's been a distant sugar daddy to her whole family. Elaine fills in some gaps for Favour though, a stranger showed up and asked her father to invest for him and gave him a huge sign on bonus where is this incorporate life. Oh, and all of those ships were found with her whole fortune on it. Basically, they've been jamming to Abba's money money money for months now. Favour joining back with her family has only one thought rippling through her mind though. Stay with the high lorid human. Damn, maybe she should have told Tamletam she loves him after all. Nicole, I think that might be one of my favourite inner circle debriefs you've done. Really? That means a lot because I was not vibing at this morning. I did a lot of edits so many times. Thank you so much as always for your inner circle debrief. Alright friends, it's time to step into the cauldron and discuss key insights for shadowing theories and oh, so much more to holiday episodes in a row. Let's kick it off with this summer solstice celebration. So we learned that the main celebration used to be in the summer court, but now they have one here in the spring court because everyone in the summer court is not there anymore. On the longest day of the year, it's one big party where everyone celebrates when the sun outshines the night. It's a time for all fairies to relax, let down their hair and simply enjoy and celebrate pink fairies, not high-fay or fairy, just everyone together singing kumbaya. How delightful. Last episode we discussed that Kalamai/The Great Right celebration is in each court, not Kalamai specifically, but some kind of great right. And I'm guessing that the summer solstice would be the one for normally the summer court. Honestly, I would love to go to this. I'm already a member, I'm a proud member of the summer court. That is the place where I would immediately run off to. I would love to see what kind of party this would be like. I imagine it's like one gigantic epic beach party. Like with the extra large beach balls that bounce among everyone, you know, never touching the sand and there's a boy band on stage and the food is magically protected from the sand getting all in it. I want to go to this party. You know that scene in the Princess Diaries of the Beach Party. Like Mandy Morph on stage, Jimmy. I take me there now. I'm so too thought of too. I see that's exactly what I thought of. Oh my gosh. Oh my god, I love it so much. The thing is that's not even like an epic beach party. That's just like a high school or party. I could see that as the summer court. Like Tarquins the youngest high lord. I could see it kind of being like a little high school element or like a frat party like I mentioned earlier. Like I think of like an abiza, like like a bee that is in the island where it's like known as a party island. Like that is also I have not been to and I've actually been to abiza, but I have not been to a beach party there. I was a little too young. - I feel like there would be like, yeah, like it'd be very monoco. Like there'd be like yachts partying in the bay. - Oh yeah. - Oh yeah. Wow, we're getting really off time. - I'm a proud of me need to go there right now. I am going to Monoco in the fall for my honeymoon. I'm so excited. - I will not be on a yacht though. - I wish I was that cool. I will not be on a yacht unless I convince someone to let me on theirs. Anyway. - What were we talking about? - I don't remember. - Thank God for outlines. So it is mentioned that Tamlin has been out for an overnight patrol. We'll say it's not really patrol. He's like called away around the border. But when he comes back, he's like completely unscathed. It's very mysterious what he's being called out for. But this is also right after the head is found in the garden courtesy of High Lord Resand, High Lord of the Night Court. What do you think Tamlin went off to do that? Left him to like not even unscathed, but unbobbled, it seems like. - I really hadn't thought of it that way. I didn't think about there being a correlation between the head and Tamlin's departure. I just assumed he went off because Amorantha's letting more monsters lose as a way to taunt him about the approaching deadline, just as we've already kind of known there. So I definitely don't think it had anything specifically to do with Reese, but I have wondered if there was a specific cause for it to be overnight. So maybe it's just a way of emphasizing things are getting worse and Thera is worried about him? - That makes a lot of sense. I love that it's not there for like, ooh, Tamlin's called away on a secret mission. It's instead to emphasize like, oh, shit's getting worse 'cause we're getting closer to the deadline. That makes so much more sense to me. - And Nicole, you in favor with your purring. (laughing) Tamlin says that she looks lovely and is soft tone, makes her just want to pur. - Listen, purring is a vibe and I will stand by it. There is nothing more satisfying than just going, (imitating purring) I love it because like my mouth literally cannot do that. I have never been able to roll my arms. And so I just, it's like, okay Nicole, now pur. - I do have, I do have, 'cause someone asked for the sound to be clipped. I do have a pur, clipped on my computer. Just one pur. It's like, point two milliseconds, but it's a pur that's there nonetheless. - Sounds like we need a social media audio of that. Anyway, can you believe that Tamlin's your hair is clean compliment was only four episodes ago? Our Timmy Tam has come so far. I do believe the Summer Solstice is Tamlin's peak in this book and most certainly in the rest of the series 'cause book one is definitely his peak overall. Like I think we're all in agreement with that. And it really is just such a lovely chapter as their love and happiness is on full display, simply shining through these pages where you can't help but smile. Like again, no matter what you end up thinking about Tamlin, like this is a shining moment and we're going to appreciate that. Too bad, it's also the last time that they'll both be truly happy together before everything just goes to hell. - Womp. - Oh yeah, starting as early as recent, erupting their lunch the next day and bringing Tamlin back to reality and how dangerous all this is for Pharaoh where she's within Amaranth's grasp. But like, okay, we're not there yet. We're gonna focus on Summer Solstice and Bask and the wonderfulness that it is. - On that note though, I do have a note for Tamlin. And that is, he's leaning her to this party. He has her on his arm like they are linked. It seems like he is her date to this event for lack of a better term. And then Pharaoh goes off to get some food and he disappears to go like play his fiddle and doesn't tell her where he's going. To be fair, Pharaoh does not mind the solitude. He even says that she's okay just being by the food table and honestly that is same girl, same. If I'm ever at a party, I'm standing by the food. That's just my ammo. - Yeah, absolutely. - If there's a G-D board there, like I am on that G's board. - Oh, I love that so much. We're fun at Christmas time. Let's just say that. - But also he just like left her with a bunch of strangers. Like bro, what the fuck? - Well, and then it's funny because Pharaoh, she is drawing a little attention with her presence at the high-lord's side. Like you said, like they're coming to this together and it causes Tamlin to get into his protective mode and he gives a warning growl to make them all mind their business. And then that's when he immediately pieces out to go play the fiddle. I guess it checks out. He marked his territory and essentially warned them not to fuck with Thera before he left. But still, there's that language where Thera thinks how she's trying her best not to look like she's just some human-plating of his. - Well, that's indeed some foreshadowing because she will become a human-plating for a different high-lord in just a matter of chapters. But at least that human-plating, no, I can't even defend it. It's a bad luck for Reese. - Oh, we're gonna be bad. - Yeah, we're gonna be bad. - That's gonna be a lot of elves for our guy. But on this note, Thera is about to defy Lucian and drink the wine, but she thinks as she's looking around, she thinks where's my high-lord, something along those lines, but she says the word my high-lord. This is the first time she's thought anything like this. Remember back in chapter 14, the serial says his human woman. She's been subconsciously thinking and she thinks about this throughout the rest of the book. She's subconsciously been thinking of herself as his property since that encounter with the serial. This is the first time she's looking at him as if she has, I'm not gonna say ownership by any means, but just as like you would say, this is my boyfriend or this is my partner. It's very much along those same lines for Thera. - It's also a sign that she's found her home. She's found her people and a male who she respects and is loyal to. She's still maybe self-conscious that she looks like a human-plating, but she's gaining confidence in what they truly share together as unequal as that might still be. - Remember, he left her without saying a fucking word. I'm just gonna say, like that is, I'm like so mad for Thera. I know she's not mad about it. I'm mad for her. Like that would piss me off so much. - But Thera, chugging, not one, but two glasses of fairy wine because damn girl, go big or go home. - Yeah, Thera, yeah girl. - There's like, there's jello shots at the party and you just go and like, you know, put as many as you can on your hand and just like, type one after the other and then that's the end of your night. And anyway, I've never done that before. - Let's get to say that's very specific. - Listen, college was a fun time. And I just love this line so much from Thera. Quote, "This guy was an eddy of molten amethyst, sapphire and ruby all bleeding into a final pool of onyx. I wanted to swim in it, wanted to bathe in it and feel the stars twinkling beneath my fingers." First off, this is just a beautiful description of how she's always looking through the world through a painter's lens. This is another call to the stars and the onyx aka to the night and how it is always beckoning and always attractive to her. And it's also important to note, she's a merchant's daughter who is familiar with all of these beautiful jewels that she was just listing. So I love how she describes the world through that lens as well. - I do wanna put a little side note and this maybe just like might be a thing for you and I to explore Lex. Can we make fairy wine? Like, what is this rest? Do you put pop rocks in it? Like, I need to have this. This looks so good. I'm not gonna lie. I think there might be a sprinkle of ecstasy in the recipe. (laughing) Maybe we don't make that. But seriously, I absolutely love these little descriptions of the fairy wine. You really feel like you're experiencing the summer solstice right alongside fair up. It smells like summer spent lying in the grass and bathing in cool pools. Like, wow, how lovely. And the fairy liberates her from bonds. She didn't know existed. It feels like a million fireworks exploding inside of her and filling her veins with starlight. Again, there's that starlight language describing something so blissfully happy for her. Totally separate side note. I appreciate these little glimpses of memories our characters have shared over the weeks, where we learn here that Lucian tricked fair up into eating hallucination witchberries and it made Tamlin chuck him into a reflection pool. Like, I wanna see that. Anyway, it paints such a carefree picture of these three and their outings, offering a glimpse into the fun and the friendship that they've built up together and shared. Again, it's a little sad to realize these memories are the happiest, at least Tamlin and Lucian will experience for a long, long time. And it's also very sad to think that while they're literally frallicking through the flowers, everybody else is imprisoned under the mountain. Like, I've been thinking a lot more about that and it's like, ooh, I mean, hey, gotta be happy somehow, right? I wanna also point out that the Spring Court has a reflection pool. We will also see one of those in the Dawn Court during the high-lord meeting of Acawore in which Feyra is literally like, Reese, can we get one of the, I want one, like, can we get one of these installed? And I just love seeing that little connection between the two high courts. Oh my gosh, I didn't even think about that. This summer's Solsis is a fantastic way of showing how much Feyra has come into her own here in Perthian. Yes, she's drunk, but she's so full of love and freedom among these fairies. She even thinks that she watches them dance quote, it was like they were as loose as I was, free. I loved them for it. She's come such a long way in her opinions about fairies over these months. We can't forget how this story started where she killed one because she thought maybe it was a fairy. Her time here in the Spring Court is also such a perfect introduction to Perthian, to magic and fairies before she experiences more of the world, gets closer with more powerful Fey. Her introduction to these magical lands, Aka, most of this book, is necessary for her overall journey. It would be way too dry in for her to get thrown straight into Valarra's and the inner circle. I also love that you pulled out that line because there is that one word, free. They're technically not free. Everyone has a mask attached to their face. They know that the 49 years are about to be up in just a matter of days. The irony here that they're all dancing as if they're totally free. They know that this their last summer solstice, I guarantee you that there is some blackout drinking. There is some wild and crazy partying tonight and there's just as an element of really leaning into that freedom because this is their last hurrah before they go under Amarant, that's full control. Yes, and at the same time, you think that they all are aware of what is happening and they see her and Tamlin and it's like, "Where is the crab singing kiss the girl?" (laughing) Come on, like everybody needs to work a little bit harder here. I know that they don't need it like, she and Tamlin end up having their moment and they do kiss, but. Come on! All I see is Lucian in the will of the whips like peeking out, being like, "Kiss the girl." Got the red hair and everything. - Speaking of Lucian, poor Lucian. Poor Lucian, I can say that a lot, but poor Lucian. And he's trying to be a good friend and emissary by watching out for Fera. And she's the fun drunk girl at the party who just won't listen to him. - Literally Fera's like, "You stop Lucian to drink another glass of wine." She's such a vibe. She and Violet would get along well. - She would. - And as much as we can joke about Lucian's attempts to look out for her best interests, this is also another example of how he's in Tamlin's employment first and foremost. He even says, "Tamlin will gut me." And while we know he's exaggerating, I'm guessing there have been several of these kind of threats and warnings that cause Lucian to be a little bit fearful of losing control over Fera. He's scared of Tamlin's reaction when Fera drunkenly comes across him, but then of course Tam's like, "Nah man, she's fine." And Lucian's like, "Well, then fuck you all for me, Karen." And then he gets out ASAP because he doesn't want to babysit drunk Fera. - Now this might be the opposite of claw watch. Because Fera comes face to face with this super sweaty hair select with sweat. I can't say that word enough. Tamlin is sweaty. Little fiddle boy, Tamlin, which I do want to pause real quick before we get fully into claw watch. Because Lexi, would you find, and this is like become a huge joke on the internet is Tamlin like hardcore fiddling? Do you find this attractive? Like if a guy was playing a fiddle at you like this, would you be like, "Mm, brrrr." First of all, I love that it's playing the fiddle ad. Yeah, there's no other way to phrase that. - I was seeing a man I like go hard at a musical instrument. He's really skilled at. In that sense, yes, I would find that attractive. However, I also love how fitting it is that it's Tamlin playing the fiddle. Like how much more opposite of Reese can you get? Like, okay, nothing against the fiddle. Nothing is against the fiddle. It's just not the first instrument I think of when I think of a sexy man seducing me with music. All I can think about is Ken on the beach. Like, is it Wonderwall or whatever he's playing at Barbie? And there's all the Ken's just like, on loop playing the song. - I mean, Tamlin does end up getting down on his knees in front of her and just like rocks out with a fiddle solo. And I can just picture all of this so vividly and I just like die laughing. And also because of that viral TikTok with the fiddle version of Get Low. And now that's all I think of with this scene. Like that is the only song that he is playing is Get Low. - No, no, no, no, no, no. - Oh my god, shout store, Akatar playlist that has not won, but three fiddle songs back to back to back. And one of them, Jake knows every single word too. - I mean, it's a well-known song. - The devil went down to Georgia. I had never heard it before I listened to the podcast. Or before I listened to the playlist. - That is a you problem. (laughing) It's a very well-known song. - I love you, too, sis. - Thanks. (laughing) - So back to "Claw Watch." - Favorite notices that Tamlin is playing the fiddle as hard as he can. Again, he is coaxed to a sweat this guy. And he tells favorite to dance, which I also love that he's not like, ooh, continue dancing. He's like, "Dance, Vera." Like he just like, it's like very like sing to me my angel of music style. But she notices as she's, you know, drunk a shit on "Fairy Wine" that there is no sign of his claws. We always think of this night as one of Vera's happiest memories. But I would wager that this is also one of Timmy Tam's. Remember, Tamlin never wanted to be high Lord. This position comes with many responsibilities, many of which we've seen make his claws punch out and literally sometimes bitch-slap his own face when he has to deal with them. Playing the fiddle was truly one of the only things that Tamlin is good at, other than killing. He admits that earlier in the book. It makes sense that this is one of his happiest moments. He's playing this instrument, something that he chose to become a master at, rather than something that was chosen for him. So as much shit as we give Tamlin for playing the fiddle on the internet, it is beautiful and so nice to see him happy and doing something that he loves to do as well. - And to see how much joy his finale brings Vera. - He, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, - I bet he's good at those fingers on the fiddle. - Oh, that is. (laughing) - I bet he's imagined a night like this forever, even before the curse. They're just being free and basking in each other and it's really sweet. They both needed this celebration to simply enjoy themselves and each other. Summer solstice is an turning point, but it is a solidifier that Vera wants to be here, that she feels like she belongs among these fairies, that she can let down her guard fully with Tamlin, that she can dance and laugh and love and experience all of this just again, freely, we're using that term again. She needs to have this climactic moment to understand how fulfilling life can feel so later she knows what she's fighting for. - Oh, that was so beautiful, Lexi, that was gorgeous. (laughing) - Oh, thank you. - You're welcome, I'm so good. - This feeling of pure bliss and happiness only magnifies when Tamlin shows Vera the field where the will of the wisps are dancing, which wow Tamlin, I'm very impressed with you. A plus plus plus plus plus plus on your flirting efforts. Like no, actually tonight, you might be teaching the class, you're that good. - Whoa, I love that when she's dancing, he's like, I won't, like come with me and she's like, I'm dancing, Tamlin, like, let me dance. (laughing) - But he leads into her and he says, I wanna show you something better. - 10 out of 10 line, Tamlin. - Yes, well done, sir. - And then privately dancing with the woman you love in a meadow of dancing, singing, spirits of air and light, they're holding each other. He's simply saying her name because he loves saying it. Ah, that's another part I love. Like, where did this hopeless romantic come from? - So I had a shower thought this morning, actually, about this. I know how when you're, let's say you're at a party and you look hot, you're wearing a great outfit, your hair's cooperating, the makeup is makeuping that day. And when you flirt, you're like, who is this, you're feral beast that's coming out of me? Like, you know, there's just this extra element of confidence. But then when you, like, this is actually a personal example, when Brennay were on our first date, I had my hair wet from a shower, it was braided back. I had my glasses on, I had no makeup, I was in a giant, giant flannel. Let's just say I was not looking and feeling my best because I didn't know it was a date. And when I say I have never been a more terrible flutter in the fact that I bagged this man and was able to marry him as honestly shocking given my level of talent of flirting that night, this goes to show that when you're not feeling your best, tends to be your confidence is maybe not in the same alignment with the flirting that you want to be able to have. Tamlin has been in a mask for 50 years, that he hates desperately. So I also think that his lack of flirting well-doneness up until this point also might be in correlation with the fact that he's not been feeling his most confident. I think that there's many things here, but this might be an element at play. So I think the mask might be a little bit to blame for his flirting, not feeling great until he feels so comfortable with Fera where he's able to whisper into her drunk ass ear, I wanna show you something better. - Well, and that was Amaranth's intention too, like she could have that mask on him, so it would be more difficult for him and this human woman to fall in love. - Mingo. - And then ladies and gentlemen, the moment has arrived. Beauty and the Beast kiss. Hallelujah! The curse will be broken soon. They love each other. They only have to say it. We can feel it all building up to the big moment, right? Never mind, I'm going to rip into them those shortly for later decisions. But right now, let's give these two lovebirds a big, haza, haza, haza! Honestly, how happy they are from this whole evening deserves a haza? Like again, I'm gonna love on them right now. - Well, I'm gonna splash some cold water on that love because as satisfying as this kiss is, this is another moment of showcasing Tamlin and his indecisiveness. He's looking at Fera with an expression caught between a smile and a wince, not what you want and says, "I'm thinking I might kiss you." To which Fera is the one who says, "Then do it." And then he does this super soft, testing the water's kiss. And Fera says, "That's it?" Then she pulls him down into this passionate kiss. He is not showcasing the most take initiative, kind of vibe and to be fair, this is not a huge dig at Tamlin because yes, consent is important and him asking, basically asking, "Can I kiss you?" But it does showcase that he's not ever one to take the initiative. He normally has other people either take the initiative for him or give him the green light for him to be able to do something like that. - When did I become the hopeless romantic between the two of us? Like, wow, give me a minute because we got a 16 coming up. - We also get another beautiful, full circle moment here. When Fera recalls, when her father told her, she should let her sisters imagine the better life, a better world to which she said, "There's no such thing." We remember that conversation happened the day she returned from the woods after killing Andres and the Doe. She couldn't believe that such happiness or hope was even possible until now. And this scene honestly makes me wanna tear up because I wanted to reach through the pages and just hug Fera as she heals right before us. Even if they don't last long and there's a lot issues coming up, at least she and Tamlin had this. Like I've said before, we might have some strong feelings about an ex, but often there were those really happy memories where we felt alive and whole because of them. And just because it doesn't last, doesn't mean it doesn't matter or should be washed away. It helps us understand the good in the world and what kind of happiness can be achieved and that there is that spark within ourselves to feel and experience this strongly, this purely, this fully. Like I said a few minutes ago, she needs to know that love and happiness like this are possible so that she can fight for it when she goes under the mountain. I'll be honest, a few of my fond is that, the most impactful memories in life were with X's who I don't ever want to speak to anymore. But those experiences still happened to me and they still hold importance in my overall life story and who have become as a person. And hindsight might be 2020, but I'm just so happy for Farah and yes, Tamlin on Summer Solstice. It's so easy to look back at memories and think of them as black and white, good or bad. One of the things that I love about looking at this book through the lens that we are at least is we're looking at it through that gray lens. It's not always good or always bad. It is that gray area because these are very gray characters. And it's moments like this, especially that you're highlighting here, Lex, that create such an internal struggle with Farah through the first half, if not half plus of Akamaf. She feels so guilty because of moments like this where things were just so good. She feels like she's moving on too fast and she's not giving Tamlin's good moments their due diligence. She feels like she's the bad person because she is moving on and these moments are still lingering in her mind. I also want to point out that Farah tells him she never believed that she could be happy until this moment. But then his throat bobs and he immediately pulls her into kiss and it was deep and thorough. You can absolutely read this as Tamlin being overcome with emotion and feeling the same way that she does. And you can also read it as Tamlin's throat bobs from nerves or fear or sadness because he knows that this is the last happy moment, but no matter what with Farah and Amorantha. If she tells him she loves him, Amorantha is going to come after her. If she doesn't tell him, she loves him. Amorantha is going to come after Tamlin and drag his entire court under the mountain. So his throat could be bobbing and he could be pulling her in for this passionate kiss because he's overcome with that nerve of, oh my god, this is our last moment together have to make the most of it. I see what you're saying there. I'm going to have a slightly different take on that here in a few moments. Oh, okay. I'm excited. So the next day after the summer solstice, we get, like you said, I believe this is our last scene here in the dining room at least in Brooklyn because there's no dining room left after this evening. Allegedly, allegedly, and hold on like this went way over my head the first read, but did Luci get some on summer solstice because Farah asks where he was last night and he says he was stuck on border patrol. Then Tamlin gives a pointed cough, causing Lucien to add with some company. Who is Lucien's company? I don't know, but Lucien can fuck dude. This is reason 10 million and six as to why I am salivating for a Lucien POV and for a romance for him in a future act, a tar book, whether that's with Elaine or whether that's with hell, even someone else. Fasa. Ooh. I love shipping those two. Yeah. I don't really care who anybody ends up with. I just want them to be happy. I honestly so real. I want to see this fiery nature that apparently the autumn court men haven't bid and I want to see it written on a page. I want that POV. Well, no matter who his company was, it sounds like he got laid. It's just wonderful news because now he's back to being the third wheel with these two obvious lovebirds. Like Farah, she's all hot and bothered, feeling like her clothes are too scratchy. Is she and Tamlin, I fuck each other? And she's even thinking to herself that Tamlin could have her literally right there on this table. And then she's like, poor Lucian, he's like, hello, I'm trying to eat. It sounds like he and Asriel have more in common than they realize. Oh my, well, especially knowing that Faye can like smell, shift in feelings. Like he's there, like eating his sandwich, like chicken salad and Faye was over there. She's like, he can have me right here on this table. And Lucian's like, hello, eating my hangover meal. And I don't want this wafting all up in my nose. This grossing. And then hard left turn here. Lucian does offer some truly heartbreaking news. The Winter Court got word to Lucian that the blight aka Amarantus forces took out two dozen children, quote, it just burned through their magic, then broke apart their minds. Let's talk about some cold water splashing on us. Ice water. Ice bucket challenge. We will learn much later that she used a demotty to kill these children, making it seem to the other courts like it was Reese. Lucian even notes that the other courts are getting hit hard, except of course the night court. And its dangers are moving farther and farther south. It's like Amarantus is vultureing around the spring court, waiting these final days for the curse's deadline before she swarms it and takes over. It almost feels similar. She's antsy and nervous. And she's using these attacks as a way to feel like she's taking back control and distract herself quite frankly. Absolutely. I believe Reese even says something along those lines like when he's offering that POV in chapter 54. Lucian also mentions this contact in the winter court and I wonder if it's Vivian because we do learn that she is one of the only ones in the higher ups I'll say, at least from our knowledge, from the winter court. That was not under the mountain. And she is basically the HBIC. She is the head bitch in charge of the winter court. So I do wonder if that is his contact or if it's someone maybe in her court. I don't know, but it's interesting to think about. The timeline of events like this slaughter of winter court younglings under Amaratha's reign are a little confusing because there's multiple rebellions referenced throughout our story. So we're going to quickly walk through it. Also don't worry next episode. Surreal T time is all about Amaratha and her ruling. But until then 40 years ago, about nine years after everybody went under the mountain, the winter court, day court and summer court rebelled against Amaratha's rule. She executed these three high lords and most of their families. This is how Tarquin, Helian and Kaleas became the new high lords of their respective courts. The title was passed to them while under the mountain. Now 40 years later, the winter court tried to rebel again. And to send a message, Amaratha wanted to assassinate Kaleas, high lord of the winter court. Reese convinced her not to kill him with his way as her sex slave. He didn't know that instead of killing Kaleas, Amaratha ordered the slaughter of two dozen faked children of the winter court and sent a demoddy to destroy their minds. This Reese was also a demoddy. Kaleas believed it was him who had shattered their minds so he was understandably pissed off at Reese for a while, which was assumably Amaratha's intention to create a wedge between these high lords. It's not until later in the series that Reese convinces Kaleas that this wasn't him and he didn't have anything to do with this slaughter. Presently, the spring court is the only court impertinent that is "free" like major air quotes there from under the mountain. We know that the high lords who have cozyed up to Amaratha have a little more freedom to come and go like Reese and I'm going to assume Baron just because he's an asshole. Not everyone in each of the courts is under the mountain though. Vivian, like you were just mentioning, of the winter court, for instance, was on border duty when Amaratha secured her powerful hold over Perthian and Vivian was able to hide in a small city in her court and use her powers to shield it from Amaratha. Seems safe to assume Vivian was not the only one in the courts who did something like this. Also, a little unclear where Amaratha found these two winter court children since it doesn't seem to be here in the small city where Vivian is ruling over. So I'm going to speculate that while yes, she took everyone from the party and the court raids under the mountain, she couldn't get every single inhabitant. And in turn, they formed refugee groups for lack of a better word, which I'm sure she figured out where some of these were. And maybe she didn't try too hard to round everybody up in the beginning because number one, it wasn't worth her efforts. Number two, she could use these free court members as leverage killing these children as a perfect example to keep Calais in line. And three, there probably wasn't even enough space under the mountain for every ferry in Perthian, which I will say she didn't really care about since the lesser fairies were trapped in the lower levels and left to fend for themselves. I do wonder how the other high lords viewed Tamlin and his major air quotes, supposed freedom because I mean, Tarquin, Helian and Calais were all forming rebellions, under the mountain. So you would imagine that they would be thinking, oh, Tamlin, you know, he's probably round and up some troops. He's probably figuring this out. He's probably wondering, like figuring out a way to get us all free. And we'll talk about this in a minute when we get to Reese's entrance into this delicious scene. He's not doing shit like that. He barely even did enough to save his own court. I cannot believe the high lords even showed him an element of kindness, if I'm being honest. If I was one of them, I would be so pissed knowing that he wasn't doing anything to not only save his own court, but to save everyone else given the freedoms again, major air quotes that he had that they didn't and they were still doing shit. That's infuriating. Yeah, if you think about it too long, it's like, wow, wow, that's a real bad look. Now after this mini download of what's going on in the winter court, Tamlin shoots to his feet in alarm. And of course, we get a claw watch. He unsheathes his claws, canines elongating and snorls at the open doorway. He is literally turning into a variation, or at least a high-fay variation of Man Bear Pig before our eyes. But this wording is really important because many of our claw watches have been Tamlin losing control over his anger or his frustration and his claws have shot out. There's that element of he didn't have control over it. But here it does sound intentional and that he's purposefully turning into his beast form to protect his beauty. And it makes sense. The man who killed his entire family and his warming the bed of his number one enemy just walked into his house. Now he does rain his claws back in before Reese comes into the room. He does sit down or even slouch in his chair and pick out his nails with a dagger, which is a very interesting form of nonchalanteness. But this does read to me as if his first instinct was to kill her and protect. Which sounds about right for our guy, Timmy Tam. But once he thought strategically getting paper safe, glamored behind Lucien, he thought better of it. And instead, he gets his ball-drick of knives. He slumps in his chair like I said, and he picks his nails. He's seeping back into the that more casual high-lordness, but he's using it in a more strategic way. He put his thinking cap on and he was like, oh, maybe it would actually be better if I didn't rip Breeson apart when he first walked in the door. It's so fun though, because the beastness of Tamlin is so incomplete contrast with when Reesque walks in. His steps are described as graceful and feline. Now there is one really small note that I wanna make is because when Rees is walking in, there's a scuff of a footstep. And my head cannon is that scuff is when he gets a scent of phara. He's almost not trips over himself, but he almost kind of scuffs his footsteps because everything else is extremely graceful. But as he's walking in, even though it's masked, he might get the little whiff and that causes the scuff of the step. - That's interesting. He does say that there was a familiar scent in there that he couldn't quite place. And because again, it was hidden by the glamour and all of that and then the pieces all fell together. Once when he realized there was a third play and that he was being glamored and all of that. He even takes her goblet from the plate and picks it up and sniffs it. I just imagine that being like, let me make sure this is her before I really lose my shit. I can see, but we're not there yet. Favorite things about how the house has gone completely silent and she remarks, quote, not the pregnant silence of Fire Knight. I love the SJM brings up Fire Knight, a very important moment for Rees and his character in a story right before she brings him back into this story in a way that makes him sound like super bad guy villain mode. - And I love the tension of someone truly awful coming their way, who would want to hurt Fera. It's insinuated that Rees is one of these worst creatures than the Adder, worse than the Naga and the Surreal and the Bogey. - I love this though, quote, his grin widened as he finished and something in his counterins turned feral and deadly, more so than I'd ever seen Tamlin look. Fera is already comparing Rees and Tamlin up against each other. Now comparing them unknowingly, but this is just the beginning. - There is so much layered in this exchange with Rees and we're gonna cover why there's so much tension between these two high lords when we sit Tee with the Surreal today, but it starts with him inclining his head slightly, definitely not a bow though as Fera notices. And then bam, we finally get his name, Reesand. As the most handsome high lords smiles with heartbreaking beauty, he says that only his prisoners and enemies call him Reesand. And while it's said as somewhat of a joke, we immediately recognize that how his name is said can be key in the speaker's perception of him, not a guarantee by any means, but we're going to closely watch how Fera uses his name both to herself and speaking to him and how it reflects her perception of him throughout the series. Or at least the first few books, I guess. - Rees begins to lay into Tam and on a reread, it does hit a little different. Rees remarks that Tamlin has been held up in this country to state for 49 years and it must be a paradise compared to under the mountain. Quote, "I'm surprised though, 49 years and no attempts to save yourself or your lands." - Then Tamlin concedes with a low voice that there's nothing to be done. - Ugh. And that's when Rees keeps going, what a pity that you must endure the brunt of it, Tamlin. And then even greater pity that you're so resigned to your fate. You might be stubborn, but this is pathetic. - Yeah, you must endure the brunt of it is such a backhanded slap because Rees is literally amaranth this whore and he is enduring the brunt of it in such an intimate way and it just, oh man, it's wrecked. There's a part of Rees that is infuriated with Tamlin that he's at least appearing to not have fought or at least attempted to save his lands in the last 49 years. I wanted to take a moment and put Rees in Tamlin's shoes. He would have been scheming, plotting. He would have had at least 16 different plans ready to save the spring court. He would have fought until his last fucking breath. Like we said earlier, with the day winter and summer court high lords all banding together and fighting under the mountain, Rees would have been right there with them and he would have had an army ready to roll. He is standing here right now, seeing Tamlin to appear to have every fucking luxury in freedom and not do a damn thing about it. I don't blame Rees for how he's acting in the scene. I'm gonna say it. But again, this is all how it looks to Rees. Tamlin did fight, he then stopped and then he fought again. Fight in his own way. In his own way. (laughing) Tamlin fighting, which has happened. So he did send sentries out and condemned people to death. We cannot overlook the emotional stress and pressure that would put on a person and in comparison to how Rees and would have filled his situation, it is night and day. (laughing) At least put on some. You really make such good points. And I mean, Rees isn't far off from reality when you realize what the rest of the courts have been through compared to the spring court these past 49 years. When Lucian says that he's just Amarantha's whore, Rees replies, quote, "Her whore I might be, but not without my reasons." He might be casual right here, but dang, this all weighs on him. And it's so perfect how it's right after he lays into Tamlin about not doing enough. Rees is sleeping with his enemy because Tamlin won't, just have to throw that out. There Tamlin won't sleep with her, so Rees is. Obviously there's more complexities to it, but basically, and he's doing this in order to protect his people. He's sacrificing everything for his lands, for his family, for his court of dreams, and being accused of doing nothing by people who he thinks are indeed doing nothing. - Yeah, I'd be pissed off. - I was just pissed. - Tamlin rees in the slightest. - Also, during Rees's verbal takedown, Ferret does remark about how his voice drops to a whisper, quote, "An erotic caressive sound that brought heat to my cheeks." Later mentioning even how he has a lover's laugh. There's all this foreshadowing for her and his eventual meaning. On a first read, you do read it as if it's sensual and lethal and deadly. Like Lexi was mentioning our Calamie episode. But Rees and Baby, you're not done. After Lucian, Lucian fights back. We just have to highlight it is not Tamlin. It is Lucian, who starts fighting back as Rees is literally telling Tamlin, he's been a lazy fuck. Rees starts calling Lucian little Lucian and mentioning how when he switched to spring, his lovely mother was in perpetual morning over losing Lucian. Now pause 'cause this is wildly important here. Remember, Lady Autumn, 'cause we don't have a name for her, so Lady Autumn, and Helians, Affair, went on for decades. And after Baron found out about this affair, she made the choice to stay in autumn and she stopped the affair with Helian. It's assumed, however, that she stayed because Baron knew that Lucian was not his son and she feared what Baron would do to this favorite son of hers who was born from love, the only one who was born from love. So when Lucian leaves spring, not only is her favorite child and youngest son leaving, but also the number one reason for her staying in this loveless abusive marriage is leaving too. On it, just, I'm my heart breaks for Lady Autumn. God fucking dammit, I hope she gets the revenge arc of a century. I'm also curious about what Lucian is referring to when he says to Rees that he's been doing much more than by time in the spring court. This brings us back to his plan B before Fair Out entered our story, yeah? Like, he's got contacts in other courts when he's not supposed to. Of course he does. He's a mincery and kind of a spy master, but we never get a whiff of anything he's actually planning, right? I'm trying to remember, but I don't think that we ever get an inkling of who it was with or what those plans might have been. He literally just says, like, let's take a stand and that's the amount of information we have on what his plan was to do, which honestly, it's better than doing nothing that's all I'm gonna say. However, then Rees asks, if Tamlin is going to reprimand his lackey for speaking to a high lord of prithian like that, which I mentioned this in ICD, pause because Faeira has an existential crisis at these words because she's like, another high lord, I didn't know about, but Timitam says, quote, I don't enforce rank in my court. The fuck way. Don't, Timitam is the lawmaker. He's fucking teeth right now. But Rees says still. So this word is so interesting to me, because does Tamlin only enforce rank when other courts aren't around? Or does everyone else just follow rank and Timitam doesn't enforce it necessarily? But I don't think that's true, 'cause he like whips his centuries and like threatens to kill him. I'm leaning toward this being more of a discussion about Tamlin's weaknesses as a leader. He doesn't have the balls to enforce in a true high lord way, which may even be why he can be so jerky with Lucian sometimes as he battles him wanting to be his friend and how he should be as a loan some high lord who needs control. And also back when Tamlin did become high lord, it was a really rough transition. So he wasn't ever planning on becoming high lord, so he didn't learn the leadership skills and I'll say the enforcement skills that were necessary. And so when he took over, people didn't like him, and they left. And he certainly did not enforce rank then, and I have a feeling again, that rough transition includes him having to learn on the job how to become a high lord, and that might be what Reese is referring to here as well. - However, when again, Lucian fights back to Reese, Reese and gets all up in Lucian's grill and says, quote, "I was slaughtering on the battlefield before you were even born." Why yes, yes he was because he fought in the war 500 years ago. Now pause, Reese is about 500, and he fought in the war 500 years ago. Reese is 535 right now. He was 28 when the war started and he was 35 when the war ended. ended because it lasted for seven years. - All right, there you go. (laughing) But we learned that in last week's episode, Nicole, with the Suryo. - I'm so sorry, I did not, I apparently commit as my age to them, I'm very upset. I'm so sorry. - We do, however, get a glimpse into that warrior that Resan was at the war in the prologue chapter for Acabor. This is Reese literally right after a battle in this very war, and he is all worried about Cassian and Asriol's whereabouts, and he's searching the Elyrian bloodshed, the Elyrian graveyard for his two best friends, which is so sad. - We don't know exactly how old Lucian is, but I'm guessing at most 300 years old. There are a few tiny little hints here and there, but it's a really wide range. So I'm just gonna say around 300 years old. So we can determine, Reese is several hundred years older than Lucian, it's a pretty wide range there, but we'll just just throw in several hundred years there. And then we also know that Reese is about 28 years older than Tamlin. - That's such a normal number, and I'm not gonna lie when I saw it in the outline, it jarned me. (laughing) I'm like, I'm very surprised. But just as fast as Reese got all up in Lucian's face, he pulls back and puts his hands and his famous pockets. So yes, these pockets that we will become so very familiar with this casual nonchalantness from Resan. But he then says, "Solution, who do you think "taught Tamlin quote, "The finer aspects of swords "and females," which swords and females, that is perfect. If you know you know. - Sheeting, there's swords. (laughing) Nicole's got some words about the word sheeting. - I'm gonna say we're gonna go to sheeting later in this episode, so swords it is. However, I am just going to assume that either in the centuries, after they were buddy buddies, Tamlin forgot these lessons that Resan taught him, or he was just a terrible student because we cannot forget, your hair is clean, was his opening line basically. After screaming at her and bursting into her house, Man Bear Pig, Kool-Aid Man Style, let's not forget that. - I think maybe the circumstances of the situation with Farah threw him off his game. But wow, where's the fan art for Resan Tamlin as young heirs just messing around? That'd actually be kind of sad. - I would be happy. - But I'd love to see that. - I don't know how they, I don't think they would be good friends. I know that they were buds, but I don't think they ever got past the surface level friendship, you know what I mean? - Yeah, and Res does at one point say that he took pity on him, and I do think that's more of a mentor role as peers, you know? - And then Tamlin and his father killed his mother and sister, good job, Tamlin. Now Res Baby, he turns to leave, "Ah, yes, Scyre, relief goes through the room, but wait." He notices that there's a third chair and a meal laid out on the table. I guess they were really stressed out and caught off guard quite frankly. So I don't think it's out of the question that these two females totally forgot to remove the evidence of Faea being there because they were so focused on go go go go go get her glimmered. It is surprising to me, however, that Rise, who notices everything, did not catch this when he walked into the room. However, my guess is that he was a little eye on the prize and focusing more on enjoying laying in the Tamlin. We even learned from chapter 54 that quote, "Emma ran to sent me that day after the summer solstice because I'd been so successful at Calamie. I was prepared to mock him, maybe pick a fight." So Rise is really like swaggering in being like, "Mm, let's fight Tamlin today." So I also do not blame him for not noticing the third plate until this very moment. But then speaking of this very moment, quote, "His brows rose, a flicker of excitement, perhaps even disbelief flashed across his features. This is why we love a reread, that flicker of excitement and disbelief. Yes, because he realizes that's her scent in the room." Remember, he had no idea. She was staying with Tamlin in the spring court. He also had every intention that he was never going to see her again after Calamie, and he thought he was only granted that gift of seeing her once as like a gift from the cauldron. So this disbelief and excitement, ah, it just gives me chills. Because prior to his realization here in Akamaph chapter 54, Rise described a fairest scent in the scene as familiar in the room, but hidden. And it comes together when he sees the plate, and like again, all those pieces start falling into place. This is also when he picks up her goblet and sniffs it. And it's just like, ah! Oh my God. That's right. But then Lucian, he whirls on him, his face, his, meaning Rise's face, contorting with rage. Yes, rage, because when in chapter 54, he says, quote, "Here you were, living in my second most enemy's house, dining with him, wreaking of his scent, looking at him like you loved him." Ah, poor Rise and my baby. Then after Lucian tries to swoop in, saying that Beira is actually his fiance, Rise starts taking some else. Because he tells Lucian how he never thought that Lucian would dabble and stoop so low with mortal trash. Oh boy. Yeah, well, this is about to be all boy. [LAUGHTER] Brushes Lucian aside and like literally like a curtain, like moving the curtain drapes away. And he comes face to face with Beira and tells her that if she was wise, she'd be running and screaming from these people. Yee. Both Tamlin and Lucian stay where they are when Rise quote, with horrific gentleness, prize that knife from Beira's hands. And oh my God. How he's like, oh, she doesn't know, does she? I assume he's referring to the curse and her key role in all of it. Or rather, Beira doesn't know the dangers she is in with Amaranta. Because if she did know, she would have run away and screamed so fast. I think D all of the above. I think he's referring to all of that. And then when Tamlin's still not making a move, he's just sitting there, he's just standing right there. He does get up. He does stand up. That's about it though. He's saying-- Oh dear. Again, that bar is real over to me, damn. It's about to go even lower when he go under the mountain. He tells Rise that he has seconds to get out. Rise, however, takes control of Beira's mind, making her body go completely taught. She feels that famous talent-tipped hand scrape against her mind and knows that with one move, he would kill her instantly. I love this twisted magic and its descriptions on the page. And I just love seeing magic shine through the pages, no matter what fantasy book we're reading. Quote, "Even my blood flowed where he willed it." Beira is entirely Erice's mercy here, and not in the sexy way, folks. Not yet, anyway. Not yet. [LAUGHTER] Thank god. Now we do need to highlight that, yes, we do know later that he is trying to scare the absolute shit out of everyone in this room. But this is still Rise taking an L nonetheless. Honestly, I need to take a moment and just say brava to Sarah J. Masks because this guy-- this guy-- who literally has her mind in his hands where he could kill her instantly. And let's the room know it is the one we all end up rooting for in the very end. Just so good. Rise isn't done taking L's though, because it's not going to be done for a while. Earlier in the podcast, we mentioned how Tamlin has a pattern of thinking poorly of humans. Obviously, it's the main reason Amarie had the perp the curse on him. And on several occasions, he even insults the human race when he's trying to give Farah a compliment. Good job. And we do have to hold Rise and to the same standard, because he says, quote, "I've forgotten that human minds are as easy to shatter as eggshells." Oh, Rise. Not a good look, my darling. Again, yes, hindsight is 2020. And we later understand he is putting out all the evil villain stops here to purposefully scare Farah and push her to safety. But still, for a fate who fought alongside humans was prepared to die for their freedom, he is showing some of those same prejudices we've come to know so well from Tamlin and Lucian. And I mean, none of these guys have seen a human in a long time. So there is just that embedded inequality when they radiate so much power and strength. But we're still not done. Rise takes it one step further and reads Farah's mind without permission. Oh, boy. This is bad. This is real bad. This is real bad, quote. She has the most delicious thoughts about you, Tamlin. She's wondered about the feeling of your fingers on her thighs between them, too. I'm curious, why did she wonder if it would feel good to have you bite her breast the same way you bit her neck? Dude, no. Oh, dear. Cool. He is outright embarrassing her, violating her inner most privacy. Farah and Tamlin, they have only kissed. We need to remember that. They have not-- I mean, obviously they had the Calamine night. But Tamlin was on some freaky magic drugs for that. So we're going to just kind of brush aside that for a minute. This is not cool. Rise, this is really not cool. Again, yes. He's trying to keep her safe. That is his ulterior motive here. And freaking the fuck out of everyone in this room is his way of doing so. He even admits that the reason he broke into her mind was to not only terrify Lucian and Tamlin, but to also scare the shit out of her, know how much danger she was in in Prithian. But even with all that, this is still rough, buddy. This does, however, make me wonder. Can Rise see past thoughts? Because I highly doubt that Farah is thinking about Tam, biting her boobies while the high lord of the night court literally has complete control over her mind and body and blood. You know what? dissect that demoddy power is soon enough. But that is a very good keep it together. That's not something fairer is thinking at this moment. At least we think it's all safe to assume that's not what she's thinking. With these mind-reading powers it also works with memories and feelings so it's not crazy for Reese to type into his Google search. What does she think about Tamlin and those feelings come up? Did you just say the Google search again? Are we sure? Yes I did. But not in a surreal way but in the fourth-wing way and he inwardly dies a little bit inside because it confirms Tamlin's scent is all over her from the Summer Solstice make-out session. Man we really are just coming full circle with our fourth-wing deep dive. GFDD for life baby. GFDD for life. He also notes that she would have been the one for Tamlin and he might have gotten away with it but she's more stubborn than him. He's meaning Tamlin. I love that little dig of like she's not the one for you ass-hat. I love that so much. I don't know. Tamlin's pretty stubborn. I think Tamlin and Faehrer are actually the same amount of stubborn but Faehrer is definitely much more nightcourt stubborn obviously. But Reese also does know that she's falling in love with Tamlin and literally teases Tamlin with that information here. Which I do think is one of the other reasons why Lucian is a pulled isn't even a strong enough word here. He is a guest that Tamlin is sending her away just a few days before the curse is up. Right here they are getting confirmation to know exactly how close they are and Reese is dangling that little Karen in front of them. Exactly. Quote she would have been the one for you. It's literally Reese saying "Wow this human really does love you" and Tamlin might have gotten away with breaking the curse. Except Reese is secretly like nope if she breaks the curse, Amaranta will definitely kill her. I'm gonna talk about this at length soon and I know I have said this in the past as well but Tamlin knows this and he's so divided between having the opportunity of saving his court and breaking the curse and recognizing the risk on Faehrer's life by exposing her to Amaranta. But right before Reese let's go control of her there's an interesting little word that S.J.M writes. Those talons lazily caress her mind. Caress is such a cool word choice here. It's almost as if he couldn't help but have that little moment of I'm gonna call it intimacy. I'll call it intimacy. Yeah. But then his way in his talon tipped way where he has literal control over her entire body and he's also reading her thoughts out loud. Good shit. We love your Reese but you're not perfect. You are morally gray and we can never forget that. Oh it gets more morally gray because the begging begins. This is the cherry on top of Reese Anne's performance here. It's also not a little bit. It's a lot a bit of payback for Tamlin getting to live the way that he has for almost 50 years. Well Reese has been in this unimaginable position. In chapter 54 Reese mentions quote I made Tamlin beg as Amaranta had made me beg. Oh God. This is really pitiful also on Tamlin's part. I'm just gonna say it. It's one more contrast between these two high lords. Amaranta may have made Reese beg all these years but he would never get on his knees like this for any reason except one that directly saves his lands. Wait actually I say that but then I know that he would do it for fair as two which is what Tamlin is literally doing right here. So let me rephrase he wouldn't beg in such a defeated and broken way like Tamlin is here. Reese would maybe act the part again if he was in this exact same position only if it directly helps his lands and women while scheming in his mind to take his revenge later while Tamlin is doing this in very much a defeated you win kind of way. 100% because Reese says beg and Tamlin immediately drops to his knees and gets on the ground and of course Reese and ever the gentleman makes Lucian do so too. This is again yes another huge L for Reese but Reese asks a very interesting question that I want us to talk about here. He asks Tamlin are he who's on the ground literally knows two Reese's boots. He asks him the question quote are you doing this for your sake or for hers. Do you think that Tamlin is begging to save fair as life in this moment or is he begging for the salvation of the court. Basically is he doing this because of the woman he loves or is he doing this because he finally has the opportunity to do something as pedophiles might be to save his court. Definitely to save fair as because he also follows up with like are you going to tell Amorant that I don't think that he is thinking about his court in this situation. I'm gonna have a lot to say about him and what he thinks about his court here soon but I think that this all comes down to him saving and protecting Farah and if it means that he has to get on the ground and gravel that Reese will not tell Amorant that then of course he's going to do that. No questions asked. You make a really good point about his immediate next question are you gonna tell Amorant that's a Tamlin. Tamlin got to him it. Reese then selfishly asks for Farah's name and when Farah unwilling to give her own name knowing that you know if she pauses for too long he's gonna rip it out of her mind also knowing that if she gives her real name he would find her family drag them to Prithian which I at the end king of hyper and do the same thing in the end of Akham F but that's getting ahead of myself. So Farah instead gives him the name Claire. Claire better which begins the downfall of Claire. It's not funny. We shouldn't be laughing. She gets like ramsie bolt and flayed open like it's not cute. Oh it's bad. It's like when I read that yeah we'll get to that part here soon but poor Claire poor Claire. Anyway but Reese asks this question not for Amorant this gain. He asks it because he thinks himself so selfish and wanted so desperately to know the name of this human woman whose dreams he saw even though he knew the name that she gave him was not true. I have a question about this because if he's doing this for him self why does he still give Amorant the wrong name because he knows that she's lying and that is probably why he then gives it to Amorant because he knows that it's not her real name anything said it's a made-up name but why does he give it to Amorant in the first place like why does he say anything about there being a human girl here at all. I don't know. Does she know some I feel like she knew somehow. If she had like when Reese came back I feel like she knew because if she has a little bit of Reese's power that means she has a little bit of dimaddy power right so she would be able to break into Reese's mind. No because she doesn't because remember she doesn't actually have the high lords like powers herself she's just like containing them and it does make her like more powerful in general but it's not leveraging their specific powers that she can then use. So I don't know how Amorant the knew that there was a human girl. Oh no wait Reese does say that he thought she gave him a not like a random name like not even like a human name so I think he right up to Amorant to like stay in Amorant was good graces because he knew it was like a nobody name not knowing that it was actually the name of a person from her village so I yes and but why would he give a name in the first place and share the information that there is indeed a human girl when he's trying to protect that human girl from Amorant in the first place. I don't know we might have to debate this when he get close because I feel like there's an explanation to it I just don't remember it. Okay. It just just I truly don't know because that is a very unlike Reese and move to do I don't know interesting Reese then turns away from Farah and is completely unfazed because Tamlin he's you know down on the ground he's groveling and then he immediately stands up and I love that moment where Reese just like kind of pushes him back and he's like not with a lady present like I love Reese is the king of one-liners and I love him so much for it but he turns back to Farah and then turns back to Tamlin and Tamlin is right fucking in his face and like bearing his teeth at his throat. I just imagine this so much and it just makes me chuckle just the thought of Reese turning around and just being totally unfazed by man bear pig literally being at his throat and Reese gives his final farewell of well this was entertaining mentioning how it was the most fun he's had in ages which I personally don't think is entirely a lie. He's finally seeing this mystery girl again and getting more insight to her. Maybe fun isn't the right word by any means but he's definitely become a shell of himself within under the mountain in these past 50 years. Favorite is a huge part of what brought him out of that so I do think that maybe while it's not fun it definitely you know probably entertaining like the most entertainment he's had in 49 years for sure but with an all-give Amaranta your regards he winnows away. And then it's so sad we later learn in chapter 54 that as soon as he left he vomited his guts up because he had to walk away from Thera again. Reese baby we love you so much we love you so much. So you really took so much. Even when you take all these elves oh my god you took a lot of elves here and you're not done yet in this book. No he's not. Later that night this scene went totally over my head on first multiple reads actually Reese vanishes he winnows away. Tamlin orders Lucian and Pharah out of the dining room he roars in fury breaks apart the dining room and also some of the downstairs at the house and Pharah's up in her room drink and hot chocolate wondering if he's alright how did I miss this how did I miss this blatant red flag it is as red as the book cover there is a reason this book cover is red as red as the book covered that is how red this flag is. Yep. all the seeds are just being planted for Akamath. We didn't touch on this during the re-scene, but that was the first time we finally hear the name Amaranta. So now, Farah knows the name of this terrifying she who rules over all these high lords of Perthian. Farah speculates how deadly she must be to keep even Reese on a leash. Amaranta is still so abstract to Farah that she can't even begin to fathom what she is going to go through in the near future under the mountain. The air of mystery around Amaranta continues and I love how she's teased throughout this book including now until the big Alice reveal and then of course when Farah comes before Amaranta and we finally meet her face to face after so much build up. She's the big mystery in the book and learning her name was another big puzzle piece for us readers. This is also such a small gripe considering Tamlin just ripped apart half of the downstairs including the famous dining room, but he enters Faea's room, he just enters it, he does not knock to enter and again this is so small but just entering like whatever he has to say to her is far more important than any permission she would give him. It's so unbranded for Tamlin. His voice is also horse and empty like he's been roaring a whole lot and having a full blown temper tantrum downstairs where everyone let him be because my guess is that this is not the first time Tamlin's gotten into one of his moods. So Tamlin mentions how he's sorry which good for you Tamlin. She said sorry good job but Farah immediately responds with it's fine and Tamlin immediately says it's not fine. This is just the beginning of their inability to talk about hard things in the present. Sure they've overcome barriers and can open up about their pasts and how they're healing their trauma together that we've talked about a lot but if it's anything related to the present moment to their current problems and issues gone is that open communication and this will be another big theme moving forward. After he tells her it's not fine he grabs her hands and quote "wrenching my fingers from the sheets" and then his hand tightens on hers. This really rubbed me the wrong way. Did he do this to give her comfort or for his own comfort? I thought of it as a way of him trying to reconnect with her and to soften the upcoming blow of him sending her to her family. He's wanting to hold her hand right now when she's kind of withdrawing from him and he's reaching out and being like hold on like it's still us. Farah then yanks her own hand away because he tells her like I'm sending you away and she yanks it away from him, disconnecting that bad connection that he was craving in the moment. Yeah well she doesn't want to leave and she's mad that he's making her leave and she doesn't have any say in this. She starts to ask questions though this to me is a frrrr little flag way even in the background. She starts to ask questions about the loophole and how the surreal mentioned there was no other way and he quote snarls. She just wants to understand my guy. She's using her mind not being the docile damsel in distress that she wasn't the beginning of this book because she was a shell of herself and he fucking snarls at her. He also keeps cutting her off. I'm not okay with Tamlin right now. Nicole's gonna have to do a serious 180. I'm gonna talk for a minute about all this while he's sending her away and I'm gonna use that time to really center myself and get back in a month's month. Let's go ahead and start that conversation about why oh why Tamlin is sending Farah away when there's still three days of opportunity for her to stay to say that she loves him back. On the surface it seems like a really stupid decision like oh my god when I was first reading this I was screaming at the book as Lucian will also not so kindly point out and while it is condemning his entire court for her safety and it is thinking very short term on a reread and after a lot of reflection I can understand Tamlin's reasoning even if I don't agree with it. First of all as soon as Reese realized that Farah was there with Tamlin and they were going to break the curse he set out to scare Tamlin and her in descending her back to the human lands to safety. So yay mission accomplished Reese. Good job. It goes to show how much danger Farah really was in because you'd think that Reese would want Tamlin to break the curse and give them all a chance at freedom. As he reflects in chapter 54 of Akamath his other great enemy meaning Tamlin had become the one loophole that might free them all but neither of them can bear the thought of Amaratha getting her hands on Farah which she definitely would have the moment she learned of her existence right after the curse breaks. There's also the question about why did Tamlin go through all of this with sending his sentinels out to die to courting Farah and falling in love with her. You know he's been trying to break the curse so why do any of this if he was ultimately going to stop it from happening because you know of the danger it would put Farah in. My best answer to this relates back to what we've already talked about with how torn Tamlin is. On the one hand of course he wants to work toward breaking the curse and do what he can. On the other it can have its own separate devastating consequences and I think this fear of Amaratha coming after Farah after the curse breaks it was a little out of sight out of mine previously. Being happy and falling in love that's been at the forefront of his mind even though he's been aware and nervous of the dangers to come. He's been thinking that yes there will be consequences of breaking the curse but he's hopeful he can protect her and shield her from these dangers but not until it's crunch time not until Reese comes and reminds him just how dangerous this is that is when Tamlin realizes he's officially at the fork in the road. Does he keep Farah here and risk her not saying that she loves him in the coming days which would not break the curse? This would mean that when the deadline is up Amaratha would come to his doorstep only to see there is indeed a human woman here and she'd learn how close Tamlin was to breaking that curse. We can imagine how delighted Amaratha would be to see Tamlin's real attempts and that she was right in the end and then she would absolutely torture and kill Farah take the spring court under the mountain and Perthian is doomed or does Tamlin keep Farah here and she does say she loves him which yay the curse would be broken hazaa! Oh wait Amaratha would obviously find out and make her life's mission to destroy Farah for making a fool out of her and it would be a very dangerous game of Tamlin and co destroying Amaratha before she can get her hands on Farah or he naively thought he could protect her from Amaratha if the curse was broken but Reese's performance took any hope that Tamlin may have had of protecting Farah from Amaratha and he just crushed it. I personally am of the mind that Tamlin and Lucian should have been figuring out what happens when the curse breaks so they're fully prepared for the wrath of Amaratha and at least have a shot of getting her before she can get Farah. Maybe they did or at least Lucian did he would but we don't hear any of that. No matter what this would be a massive risk with Farah's life if the curse breaks. The courts would be free of Amaratha yes but it would be a risk of how fast they can get rid of Amaratha or how well they can protect Farah before Amaratha gets her hands on her and tortures her. No doubt making Tamlin watch if that was the case. Or third option here does Tamlin go the safest route for Farah and call this whole thing off by sending her back to the human lands where she'll stay quiet about what happened to be safe with her family and overall it's far less likely for Amaratha spies to track her down. Yes it's definitely the coward's way out and if I was in the spring court and knew he valued a human girl's life over all of Perithian I would be a little bit pissed off. Of course I don't want Farah to die and it's important to try to protect her but this is Tamlin giving up on everything because he's scared of the risk and yes I am giving him a hard time with this but I also need to remind myself Reese made sure Farah was sent to safety because he's also too scared of the risk it poses for Farah. He also at least has the comfort that his real court and chosen family are safe which is something none of the other high lords have. Just gotta say that too. Farah obviously doesn't like being sent home not when she's worked so hard for the spring court to become her new home. She inquires how long she has to stay away and it's an unspoken lie when Tamlin says not forever when she presses but he knows that he'll be under the mountain for who knows how long probably the rest of his life which is immortal so that's a very long time and again he knows that he is condemning himself and his court by protecting her here. We move into sexy time. So looking ahead at sex scenes that we get in future books this one seems like child's play in comparison. I made an annotation how this is just as tame as it gets which is good because if you're a new fantasy fan girl listener this is a nice warm-up for us it's good to get to know each other with our bangity-bang deep dive before we get to the real stuff and become real close friends. Chapter 55 that's all I'm gonna say. We get an entire chapter next full bang session or if you're really curious go check out our fourth wing and iron flame deep dives. Oh good time. Good times. Good times. I do want to point out though I know I said I was gonna be on Timmy Tim's side but I think I need a minute so I do want to point out however the famous power dynamic we've talked about throughout this entire podcast with these two it actually flips on a tag for this because Farah is the one who initiates and at least at the beginning takes charge. She pushes him down. She climbs on top of them. She makes out with him go girl. This is her taking some power back in this situation when literally her world has just shot into a peevil. I also think that she maybe thinks a little bit if I fucking real good if I do real good work here then maybe I can stay. Yep that checks out. But to be fair it's only a short amount of time before Tamlin grows and flips her on her back so that he is back in the dominant seat. Kla watch his back in session. Timmy Tam with one long Shredds open her underwear and this is the claw watch we love to see. Also, when they are totally naked, she remarks how his claws are out, but they are devastatingly gentle on her hips before he goes to town on her downstairs. The vast majority of our claw watches have been from a place of anger or loss of control. This doesn't feel that way at all, maybe from sadness that he knows he's losing her, but instead it feels just like, as Faeira says, "a beast freed from its tether." His orgasm is also described as him roaring. I feel like this claw watch here is the most primal version we get of Tamlin, and it completely come out to play. Speaking of which, I've got a feeling that Tamlin would be really into role play in his beast form, but I don't know if I want to go down that road too much. Well, hold on, I would like to point out again that he has the power to turn into anyone. I'm not talking about animals, I'm talking about people. All I'm saying is there could be some real role play fun with A Shape Shifter. I don't think Tamlin's that exciting in the bedroom though. Give it a little more vanilla. Just with a beast twist. He's vanilla ice cream with like a caramel swirl, but the caramel swirls with just beast. It's the store brand version, not the good Tillamook kind. Now I said this in our fourth ring coverage, and I will say it again. While I don't mind this one as much, I don't love it in sex scenes, at least for the first time, where the guy is like, "If I keep going, I won't be able to stop," or whatever. It's like, read the, she is literally throwing herself at you. She just got naked and quite literally bent a leg to show off her laugh for you even more, sir. I need you to read the room, Tamlin. I do wonder if this is a way to really drive home in books that consent is on the page. If that's the case, I am all for it. I do think that that's very important, but I don't, I just don't love it. It's like, read the room, like, "Guy." Lexi, there's one sentence that I would be, I would be doing a disservice as the hopeless romantic on this podcast if I didn't call it out. And that word, that sentence is, quote, "He, she, himself inside of me." What are your thoughts? Lex, hot, not hot. It's descriptive. Now, there's all sorts of different ways of saying it. There's penetrating, which I would say maybe I'm leaning a little bit more towards this one. And then there's, you know, the thrust, there's all. We get all sorts of good language. And I can't think of anything but a sword. And I don't want a sword anywhere near my hoo-haw. Ouchie. Ouchie. But it is descriptive because I mean, hey, like it makes, I'm making my hand motions right here. I really stop. And this is why this podcast is right at our. I do think, yes, it's descriptive. I also think it is very in alignment of what we've seen from Tamelon in that warrior form. Like, you know, before Calamny, he is shirtless. He is got a bow, a bow, strong to his back. He's just got his ball direct. Like, he is a warrior in looks in the way he acts, yes. But is he a warrior in nature? We've discussed that on the podcast. That's not for right now. But it feels very in alignment with this like masculine energy of like, he sheathed his self as, you know, his self inside of me. Sometimes I think you're a member that you're my sister. I'm like, this might be weird. I don't think there's anything that's weird between us. We have posed together with vibrates. [laughs] And posted it to the internet too. [laughs] And then my father-in-law called them "Middallia." I would have told mom and dad that we were gonna be doing that. They just laughed. They did not respond with words. They just laughed. And I was like, aren't you proud of us guys? Anyway, if this word right here does feel very in alignment with the like masculine war. Like masculine warrior that we've seen from Tamlin. Now after these two do the horizontal hanky-panky again, Tamlin and Faera start to fall asleep. Now I also want to point out that they, they fell asleep. They woke up. They did it again. And then they went back to sleep or they're falling back asleep. And Tamlin tells Faera that he loves her. Quote, "Thorns and all." Many, many people in the fandom have this question after the scene. Do you think he actually loves Faera? And I'd love to hear your thoughts, Lex. Yes, I definitely think that Tamlin loves Faera. There's a butt attached to that though. But he loves her as much as he is capable of. Not in a, oh, he's bad, not capable of love kind of way. But Tamlin has so many issues and doesn't dig deep within himself or others to do the hard work. And I believe that extends to his capability of love. He can't quite dig deeper with that love in the way true love really means that we come to understand with Faera and resand. I think he is also starved for this kind of love and attention. And it's healing for him too. We've talked so much about their healing journey here together. And I really do think that falling in love together has played a huge role in that. It makes them both have these rose colored glasses on, refusing to take them off and truly see the other for all that they are. Tamlin says he loves her "thorns and all." Faera describes what she means by this "thorns and all," saying "thorny, prickly, sour, contrary." Not even when she refers to her "thorns," is she capturing the depth and complexity of what "thorns and all" really means. Tamlin is saying "yes, he loves her even with her attitude." But it's like he loves her despite who she can be at her core, not because of who she is at her core, in the way that she and Reese will connect in love. Last thing I'll note, I really do think he loves her as deeply as he can because we gotta remember, he's proving right here that he's willing to put her safety over that of everyone in his core and Perthian. I cannot emphasize that enough. He wouldn't condemn himself, his core, and his people if he didn't love Faera with all he has. I think he loves the surface level survivor, damsel in distress, Faera. He loves the idea of her, but like you said, not who she is at her core. So I disagree with the "I love you" thorns and all statement. I think he thinks he's seen the thorns with her survivor mode with who she was at the beginning of the spring court, like you were saying. But he hasn't seen and accepted the thorns truly, and she will be living in her thorns next book. He will literally have to feign being asleep so that he does not have to talk about those with her. Now, in Tamlin's defense, he is in his own thorns too, at least at the beginning of Akima from highlighting that specifically. However, we will talk about that at length then. I do think that they are in the convenient love stage that you are right before you break up with a boyfriend. Like it's the "I love you" but more because we were in love, but it's more convenient to stay together right now, all that kind of stuff. You're talking about in Akima, not right now. I'm talking about in Akima. Yes, I think right here he loves the idea of who he thinks Faera is, which is that damsel in distress, that survivor, that surface level version of Faera that he has gotten to know for the past few months. I do have another question for you Lex, because she wakes up the next morning at dawn, and homeboy is gone. What are your thoughts here? I find it very in character for Tamlin. That's a shame. But really, I bet it was torturous for him to lay there with her, knowing that he was sending her away, and that by doing so, he is definitely condemning his court to under the mountain. Have I mentioned that yet? And with all of that going through your mind, it'd be distracting from snuggle time. I will give him that. But I think it goes back to our speculation about his depth of love. Sure, can't blame him for not being able to lay still with the world crashing down and time ticking. But also, if he was all in, he would have stayed there wrapped up in Faera's body and her scent, savoring every last possible morsel of a moment together and pushing out the bad thoughts, not letting those overrule him. You know that's what Reese would do. Again, always having to compare the two of them. You know that that's what he would do. He would not waste a second of time with her. And Tamlin was too much in his own thoughts, and he left because that was better for him. Tamlin doing something selfishly that's not better for her to wow. Shocking. Now Alice, when she is saying goodbye to Faera, it's so God, this wine kills me. Alice says, make the most of your freedom. And I, I seriously got teary eyed working on this part of the outline. Alice knows that they're about to go under the mountain in a matter of days. She knows that her freedom, or at least any scraps left of it, is about to be shattered under Amaratha's control. So her saying to Faera, make the most of your freedom is her not living by carelessly through her, but it's reminding her of you lucky. You, you're so much luckier than you know. Not in a bad way, but just in a reminding you way. I also love how the word freedom in this book has so many layers to it, depending on who is saying it. Alice also probably knows she won't get to see her nephews again, like Faera wishes. And it's so fitting that in response to Faera saying something along the lines if I hope you can see your nephews again soon, that in response, Alice says to Faera that about making the most of her freedom. Luckily, we'll later learn Alice is a smart cookie who was able to stay out of Amaratha's clutches when she took the spring court under the mountain. But she doesn't know this yet. She's probably under the assumption she's doomed right now. Lucien, understandably and so in character for him, makes fun of Faera's ridiculous clothes. We have to talk about these for a second. She's dressing to look like she just came back from visiting the family's very wealthy aunt. And in other words, it's like grandma dressed you up. That's like all I can think of. Also, I love how Faera hates how impractical these clothes are. Sure, our girl appreciates classy and subtle ex-gravagants. But this is the opposite of what she would ever want to be in. It represents how her free spirit doesn't fit in in the human world. and what she's wearing embodies how uncomfortable, impractical, and ill-fitting it is for her to go back. I also want to point out that this is not the last time that favor will be dressed up in something that she absolutely hates, and that will also be on her wedding day. Wof! Lucian says to favor that he thought she was smarter than this. This is wildly unfair from my guy Lucian. He and Tamlin have not told her anything, basically. Like, basically anything. They've set the blight and all this kind of stuff. But the moments where she's learned the most have actually been from Alice's onboarding, the surreal, and re-scratching lunch yesterday, aka outside resources. And it's still been minimal info. I agree, and Lucian knows that she can be fiercely independent when she wants to be. Lucian may not know how much Farah really tried, but of course Tamlin wouldn't hear any of it, which is the exact same as what he probably did with Lucian. His mind is made up, and that's that. But I also think Lucian saying that she's smarter than this may refer to all of them knowing that she loves him, but she won't say it. And he's commenting on her stubbornness. But more so, he's probably angry that she's going along with being sent away when she doesn't want to be, because of course, how much she loves him. I also think he's like, "You know when you're really mad at someone, and you just say whatever it is because you're so pissed." And like, I think he's in charge of those moods. Oh, oh, yeah, you and I know that's like, we done that. Lucian then goes to fight Tamlin on letting Farah go, and then Tamlin dismisses Lucian, which it's not that surprising, but it's still shitty. Lucian says, "You're not even going to give her a few more days, just a few, before you send her back to that human cesspit." First of all, human cesspit? Oh, Lucian, come on man. He must not know about the gorgeously wealthy manner they now have, or he just calls the human realm as a whole a cesspit. But wow, so much emphasis on a few more days. And for good reason, the cursed deadline is literally three days after this. Three days, three days! That might not seem like much time, but given how far Farah and Tamlin have come in their love story, that's enough time to have a very real chance of the curse breaking. And Lucian's like, "Dude, we're so close. Come on!" I don't blame Lucian. Like Lucian is rightfully so pissed off, and Lucian even spits on the ground as Tamlin dismisses them. Which you don't do with the high lord, but Lucian is just that mad. There's that fiery temper that we get from the autumn court. I love it. We do need to talk about why Farah did not say I love you back to Tamlin. Farah has never been in love before, at least as far as we know, and we can strongly assume, and has a very complicated relationship with love to begin with. Not to mention, Farah is not vulnerable outside of her painting studio, at least. And saying I love you is one of the most incredibly vulnerable things that you can do. But she also explains here that in the end, she would grow old and die, while Tamlin will remain immortal. And quote, "Oh, this kills me. I would not become a burden to him." At the end of the day, in Farah's eyes, those you love, those are the people you take care of. Her family was, for lack of a better term, a burden for her when they were in poverty, but she loved them and took care of them anyway. That is still how she sees and views love. I will also add that throughout Farah's time in the Spring Court, Tamlin made her feel like a burden, both when he was standoffish earlier on and when he was trying to protect her. Tamlin did kind of dig his own grave here with letting her think she's a burden, ultimately contributing to her inability to express she loves him. Remember, too, way back in episode one, when we discussed how during her gubbi's with her family, there were no "I love yous." Expressing love is not in the Archeron family's vocabulary. Yes, of course, Farah loves her family despite how complicated that is, but she also has never experienced how love can be expressed and openly publicly felt and shared. Tamlin has absolutely helped her heal and learned how to feel love in a new way. Those statements of love aren't part of gubbi's as we saw first hand in chapter four. Does Farah love Tamlin? Absolutely, but thinking and feeling it are very different from saying it for her based on all she's ever known about love, which really isn't much. I don't blame Farah. I think I said this during our fourth week coverage. I wait sometimes months to say I love you to a partner even after realizing it, because I am so stubborn and I don't like being vulnerable. And you say it like right away, right? You're a unicorn. I'm definitely, oh yeah, I definitely say it early on. I love that for you. What's that? Of course, hindsight is 2020. And if she had said it right then and there, she would have broken the curse. And maybe that's why Timmy Tam does a last ditch effort and says it to her as he closes the door on her carriage and she starts to trot away. He's like, I love you. I definitely agree. And as much as I went on earlier about how Tamlin is doing this to protect her, whether or not the curse breaks, he is absolutely giving her several last chances to say I love you. Timmy Tam is giving me whiplash as I try to explain his actions here for sending her away and then trying to break the curse. Again, our guy is torn and indecisive. It's not my fault as I'm trying to explain this. He both wants the curse broken, why he's repeatedly telling her he loves her, and doesn't want it broken so she can stay safe hence why he's sending her away. Again, when you explain all of it, it makes sense, but it's really confusing in the moment. I also believe he's telling her he loves her again and again because he wants her to know truly deeply know how much he means it before they never see each other again. When Tamlin says he loves her, he is telling her he is choosing her over his whole court. Have I mentioned that he is condemning his whole court? I am so mad at him still. When I first read this, even before knowing anything about the curse, I was screaming at Farad to tell him how she felt like seriously. I had the text receipts to prove it when I was angrily texting Nicole about how stupid she is for not saying she loved him too. And again, I had no idea the repercussions of her not saying it either in that moment. I struggled with understanding why she wasn't saying that she loved him. This is so interesting because I was like, yeah, of course she doesn't say it. Like it did not even faze me when I first read this the first time. And I think this goes back to how different you and I are because you don't say you love someone for a while and I am like, yep, my heart's on my sleeve. I love that. You have to puff you. It's so sweet. They were things to herself quote, I should say it. I should say those words but they got stuck in my throat because of what he had to face because he might not find me again despite his promise because because beneath it all, he was in a mortal and I would grow old and die. Nicole talked about how much weight her feeling like a burden carries and it's association with taking care of those you love. But I also want to point out that when Fara becomes an immortal too, that love she feels right now fizzles out. It's ironic that part of why she can't say she loves him now despite loving him so much will end up being part of the reason she falls out of love with him. Obviously there's a whole lot more to it but you get the idea about the shift in her perspective of Tamlin once she becomes an immortal too. So Fara's carriage starts to chop off and she's heading back to the human lands and the tang of magic starts to fill her nostrils and she falls asleep. I know the reason is, you know, so she doesn't know her way back and forth from the spring court but can we stop drugging Fara, please? Well, I absolutely agree with you. I will say that I personally would not mind being knocked out for a two-day road trip. Imagine how uncomfortable she's been for two days in this dress and this get up, which, wait a second, the magic probably prevented her from peeing, right? Like she didn't piss herself in that dress. Maybe Alice put a diaper on her. Oh, maybe. All those skirts, you know? We see such a stark difference in Fara just the way she describes the humans. She's been in prithian for approximately six months and is a whole new person coming to a whole new life of her families. But she first notices the servants and how utterly human they are, how restless they are, just like me. Like I get so restless, you all can see that on YouTube. She thinks they're quote unfinished, raceless creatures of earth and blood. Wow. Okay, Fara. She thinks that's about humans after living in prithian for only six-ish months. She is still a human herself and she thinks this way. No wonder the high lords and they hold their prejudices against humans. It's still not cool. Don't get me wrong. But Fara's are ready looking down on them too, after only six months and she still is a human. She knows she belongs in prithian. That's her new world and it doesn't feel right to her to be around humans again when she's known so much more than what we regular humans experience. Maybe I'm just hung up on this because I don't want to be a human. I want to be a fai with a high lord, but that's neither here nor there. Elaine and Nesta come, you know, sprawling out of the manner and they do not recognize Fara at first. They even go as far to call her lady and like welcome her to their home. Why do you think her sisters don't recognize Fara? I mean obviously, yes, she's changed so much internally, but not that much externally other than she's no longer you know, in survival mode and the things that come with it. I am respectfully going to disagree because she's come into her own during her time in the spring court and Fara's had several moments in recent weeks where she looks at herself in the mirror and starts to like the reflection she's back. She has become fuller, healthier and happier and she learned how to smile and laugh and love while she was away and that fundamentally changes you as a person for the better. She had been a shell of a person before focused only on survival and taking care of her family and yes, a few tumbles with Mr. Isaac, but that was because of how lonely she felt. It was only a physical escape. Her sisters don't recognize her because she is not the same person, not really. And I love how much that drastically shows in her physical appearance, too. Like, you do just change that much, and it is absolutely going to reflect in your physical appearance. - Interesting. I originally thought that it was because of the glamour, or some lingering glamour on them, but that doesn't necessarily make sense because Nesta fought the glamour. So she wouldn't have called her lady. Okay, you make good points. Yeah, I'll accept yours as canon. - Good. - And then, we'll speak in of Nesta. We immediately get a cool and cunning Nesta. She's back because remember, she knows there was no glamour and this is all a lie. She sees right through everything. Quote, she left you her fortune, necessarily flatly, it wasn't a question. This is Nesta's confirmation that Farah is going to play along with the story, too, but Nesta's also understandably a little wary, asking why Farah is being so quiet. Nesta's on her guard because she knows all of this is a lie and probably knows that Farah knows this, too. Then, we get the full download from Elaine's perspective. So sweet, Elaine. Almost a week after Farah was taken away by Tamlin to go care for their long lost wealthy aunt Ripley, a stranger appeared at their door. He asked for their father to invest in his money and it was the offer so good and so insistent that their father couldn't refuse. This stranger gave them a trunk of gold just for a green, which, like Nicole said. Heck yeah, for that sign on bonus, within a month their father doubled the man's investment and money started pouring in. Then, hey, surprise, all those ships they lost were found with all their father's profits. Obviously, this was all Tamlin's doing. I have so many questions about how this magic worked, though. Like, he didn't actually get those ships back, did he? Was it just the profits from these ships? And he had it glamored to make it seem like that's where the profits came from. Is that not a decent amount of power that would use up some of his strength, especially going through the wall? I imagine Tamlin had just a lot of money to give them and had to figure out different ways of money wandering it to actually do them. Like the stranger, of course, who showed up at their house was obviously a glamored fairy or even a fairy shape shifted into a human because we have to remember he can do that or should be able to do that, maybe not when he's not a full power. But anyway, but bringing the ships back would have definitely been the trickier part of all of this. Anyway, I think it's one of those things that you just have to chalk up to magic. (laughing) I can only hear that in like the Charlie the Unicorn. Like, magic, Charlie, can he mountain Charlie? I don't know why I think of SpongeBob with the magic of his actually doing. Imagination, but I just think of it as magic. It is imagination. I can't confirm. I watched that episode very recently. We're gonna save most of our discussion about a fairy returning to her family and what family did for them next episode. But I just need to point out this line and sympathize with, "Fairer," quote, "I wasn't certain whether I should be furious or relieved that they'd gotten on so well without me." Fairer spent weeks, weeks, maybe even months worrying about her family. Knowing that yes, they were taken care of, but she didn't know what that entailed because Tamiland didn't tell her. And there was that little bit of smugness too when she was taking away, thinking that at least they'll now know how vital she was to their survival. But hey, turns out that was not the case with all this great fortune of overflowing. I would personally feel the exact same way as Fairer right now. Be relieved that they're more than okay, yes, but also furious that they never had the chance to miss me or know how important I was to their survival for so many years. They never had the chance to miss or even need Fairer. - I would miss you. - If you were taken away. - I would miss you a lot. - Thank you. I would go after you. - I would go after you too. I hope you know that. - I take Jake with me. - Jake with Griffin Dorr power. - I take the two Griffin Dorrs in my life. Griffin Dorrs and Capricorns look out. - I'd probably take Megan. (laughing) - Brett? - I don't know, Brett would survive the worst. - No, Brett would survive the worst longer than any of us. So, so, we love everyone. - But the moment I break a rule, oh my God. - Love him. - I mean, his little rule followers though. - We too, we love him so much. - Oh my God. - This chapter ends with quote, but it couldn't fight the sensation, like a darkening shadow with a knee that I made a very, very big mistake in leaving. She even remembers the Surreal saying, "Stay with the High Lord." But that word, a darkening shadow with a knee, is not there on accident. Hello, mating bond at work. This is really just highlighting the wrongness, not because she's leaving Prithyan and the man that she loves and you know, the Surreal, stay with the High Lord. But she's getting farther away from her mate. And that is why there's that big, old, wrongness within her. - Woo, we were in the college room there for a long time considering how short these chapters were and there really wasn't a whole lot to them, but wore it to help us in the next three episodes. - While we already highlighted so many key foreshadowing moments, let's turn our full focus onto foreshadowing to the rest of this book and other important moments in the series. - Ferry mentions that how on Summer Solstice and the human lands, they don't have anything religious attached to it. But next year she will have quite the religious experience with the Summer Solstice in the Spring Court service. It is also interesting to note that Ferry thinks about how the children of the Blessed might wander into the celebration for the humans and start to convert people on Summer Solstice. Again, another tie into Ianthi, religious conversion, leadership of the Children of the Blessed, I'm convinced that is canon in my head now. - As Ferry is getting ready, she runs her hands over her curves and notes how she never thought she would feel anything but bone and muscle. This is such a beautiful moment for Ferry and the true embodiment of her shedding the survivor in her for someone who is healthy, both mentally and physically. Sadly though, under the mountains, she will lose those beautiful curves. But with the help from the night court friends, she will come back better than ever. - As Ferry is happy dancing with Tamlin, we get a quote. "He was the only object in it, tethering me to sanity to my body, which glowed and burned in every place he touched." Later in Akamaf chapter 55, Ferry will literally glow for the high lord of night because he makes her so, so happy. - Ferry wonders if being emissary also means being spy master. While Lucien does a little bit of this, we will meet these spy master, Asriel, next book. - Ferry says in her inner monologue that she would never have the nerve to paint the Nightman. - Night, man. - Man, how much? (laughing) - I'm the day, man. - Oh, the fighter of the night, man. Champion of the sun. - Stop, I know the whole song though. I thought you'd be proud of me for that little, so I don't always see any further. - I'm really proud of you. - Now Ferry will not have the nerve to paint him, specifically his eyes and the cabin later on in Akamaf, but she will eventually paint her mate and display that painting in the river house. - Never forget all the nude resketches either, baby. - I would never forget Reese's paint me like when you're a French girl's moment ever. Gotta can't wait, I'm so excited. - Be there. - Reese says to Tamlin about his present from the garden, but a nice reminder of the fun days, wasn't it? We'll learn much later that he's referring to his mother and sister's heads, getting sent down the river and delivered to an leeryan camp, aka a message to him and his father. - Oh, I did not put that to him, do together. Oh. - Favorite is worried that if she gives her family name, Reese will go find her family and drag them into Perthian detourment. While it's not Reese who does do this with the name that was given, all I gotta say again is poor Claire. - Ferry says to Alice, quote, "I don't like goodbyes. If I could, I would just walk out and say nothing." While she does not walk out per se, she does leave the spring court in a similar manner to wise my girl. Lucien says to Ferry, quote, "Those clothes are enough to convince me I never wanna enter the human realm. Oh, but you will, good sir. And by doing so, you will play a critical role in bringing Vaset and Papa Archeron to the battle in Acawar. Also, LOL your mate is in the human realm." - Ferry mentions how Nesta is made different and how, quote, "she was as different from the humans around us as I had become. Not only as a human is Nesta different, being able to see through the glamour, but she'll also be quite different as a high fave, being able to have a very unique power and the ability to wield objects that should be impossible." Last but not least, Elaine mentions how they sent letters to Ferry about all the good fortune that they were getting. And Ferry thinks, quote, "she didn't remember or maybe she'd actually never known then that I wouldn't have been able to read them anyway." It is true that both Nesta and Elaine do not know that Ferry is a literate. Now it is time for some serial tea time. Every episode Lexi is going to sip some tea with a serial and walk us through a world-building topic to help us better understand this world and the people in it. Today's tea time with the serial will help us understand why there is such bad blood between Tamlin and Resand as we discuss the tragic backstory between these two high lords. Because can you believe that before either of these high faves were high lords of their respective courts, they were actually friends. Resand, eldest child, and only son of the high lord of the night court is approximately 28 years older than Tamlin, who is the youngest son of the high lord of the spring court. Reese was 28 years old when he fought in the war, 500 years ago, and the war lasted seven years, making Reese 35 years old when it ended. During the war, Reese battled side by side with humans and fought for their freedom. Tamlin, as you recall from last episode's serial tea time, was a young boy during the war. Reese confirms Tamlin was born when the war started And then Tamlin explains he was too young to fully understand. comprehend the ins and outs of what was happening, but he was observant enough to see and remember what was going on around him. So let's say that when the war ended, Tamlin was 7 years old, which means Reese is about 28 years older than Tamlin. After the war and once Tamlin matured, these two high lord sons became friends over the years of attending various court functions. Reese recognized Tamlin as a decent male for a high lord son, especially compared to his awful brothers and the autumn court sons. Before that Tamlin didn't want this spring high lordship title, but he also couldn't hide how much more powerful he was than his older brothers, so it was inevitable that he would someday become high lord. Plus, with Reese as a half-fay half-a-learian who had to prove himself and defend his power, he understood what Tamlin went through and extended a helping hand. Reese sought Tamlin out outside of courtly requirements and war cams and taught Tamlin some "a-learian" techniques. He later reflects that maybe his help was actually out of pity. Reese's family disapproved of this friendship, but Tamlin's father was threatened by it and their powers. He was weaker than both Tamlin and Reese, and wanted to prove to the world that he wasn't. So one day, Reese's mother and sister were going to travel to the a-learian war camp to visit Reese. He was supposed to meet them halfway, but decided to stay back because he was busy training a new unit. Let's pause our story here to briefly introduce Reese's mother and sister. His mother had been an a-learian seamstress and the mating bond snapped into place with his father when he arrived at the war camp just in time to save her from getting her wings clipped. While the high lord of the night court was cold and calculating, Reese's mother was soft and fiery and beloved by everyone she met. Reese loved her fiercely to put it simply. We don't know much about Reese's sister, not her name or age or much of anything. We can speculate that she was fairly young. I'm just going to say at most a teenager, but that's totally just my own speculation. So anyway, Reese had shared with Tamlin that his mother and sister were going to meet him in the a-learian wilderness and Tamlin, for some reason or another, told his father this. And Tamlin's father decided this would be an excellent opportunity to prove his strength against Reese and the night court. Because remember, he was threatened by Reese's power and his friendship with his son, and he was also probably a little peeved that the night court helped free mortals that he wanted to keep his slaves. So the high lord of the spring court brought his three sons, yes, including Tamlin, to where Reese had told Tamlin he was going to be, where he was going to meet his mother and sister in the a-learian wilderness. But remember, Reese didn't end up meeting them there as planned, so his sister and mother were all alone. The high lord of the spring court and his son's murdered Reese's mother and sister, the high lord of the night court's mate and young daughter. As bad. That's really bad, your folks. And it only gets worse. The high lord of the spring court then sent their heads and boxes down the river to the nearest camp, and Tamlin's father kept their wings as trophies pinned to the wall of his study. When Reese and his father learned of their family slaughter, they went out to the edge of the spring court and went straight for the manor. Reese held Tamlin's two brothers' minds and rendered them helpless while he cut them into pieces before he melted their brains inside their skulls. In other words, Reese killed them. Meanwhile, his father went after the high lord of the spring court and slew both him and Tamlin's mother. Who? Reese's father had promised not to harm because they agreed they were not the kind of males who would do that, unlike the spring court guys. Reese's father then headed towards Tamlin's room to kill him last, but Reese tried to stop him because he was done with all this death. He was done with all this killing. He just wanted to go home. Tamlin opened the door to find Reese and Reese's father and quickly realized from the scent of blood that they had just killed his family. So he immediately killed Reese's father in one blow, leaving these two high lord sons staring at each other as the magic of high lordship transferred to each of them right then and there. Then Reese bolted on out of the spring court and there has been a deep hatred between these two high lord's ever since. It kind of makes a lot of sense once you really hear the story, right? Now I will say this, despite their mutual hatred, Tamlin has always carried a lot of pain and guilt about what happened with Reese's sister and mother. After he became high lord, he had their wings burned. Shit. Well, time to move on to favorite moments. Sometimes there's not an easy transition. Unlike with our acts. Wuff. So Tamlin tells Farah that she looks luckily. And quote, something in his voice made me want to purr. Luxiarty said this earlier, but it's worth highlighting again for us fantasy, fangirl fans because indeed, I know we already talked about this at length, but I don't care. We have to say it again. Tamlin playing the fiddle and these two being so happy together. It is just so sweet and special for them to experience this before everything goes to shit. I love that in this last dining room scene, they are dining at a much reduced table after favorite had made that mentioned last episode. Favorite is already leaving her mark on the spring court in many ways. And this is one of the good ways she leaves that mark on the spring court. You will get there eventually. Resand king of one liners. I want to point out one in particular because I think it's my favorite. In response to Tamlin telling resand that they were in the middle of lunch, resand purrs stimulating. I love him. I also love this because of truly what it means to fantasy fangirls. Right before they have sex, Tamlin tells Farah that she can't hold her own against this, you know, Amaranta chick. And he grabs her face with two hands just to intensify his meaning. Two hands. If someone grabbed my face with two hands and is like, you can't hold your own, I'd be like, bitch, watch me dry. Like that would just make me want to try it even more. Maybe I'll have more like favorites than I thought. Speaking of, when they're about to bang and Farah is clearly not afraid of this high lord, this embodiment of power, she thinks how she could, quote, "trust him, trust herself to whether that mighty power, Tamlin's power is nothing compared to Reese." That's not a dig. That's just a fact. It's a little bit of a dig anyway. And again, I have to point out how much Tamlin is the bridge toward her true mate. She has to learn how to trust a smaller power before she rides the almighty power. And write it she will multiple times. All right, friends. Sex jokes aside. That's it. That's it. We're done. Thank you so much for joining us today. And next episode, we will be covering chapters 29 through 34 buckle up friends. We're going to be in the human realm. And then we're going to meet Amaranta. Oh dear. Thank you as always to our executive producer Hayden, aka our sanity manager. We truly don't know what we would do without you. 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We all have one. Bye. We're gonna stop this episode. Bye everyone. We love you so much. Bye. Hey. We just totally lost it. Oh, guys. And if you fit better, but this is no frat party, junkled juice, but to the view of the will of the wisps, the will of the will of the will. Look at that wisps in there. We stand, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Into Eden hallucination, witch berries. I cannot say that line. They're a wow. What the hell happened to my voice today? There we go. Blah, blah. Oh, bad boy. Hold me fast, boy. Jesus Christ. Was it me saying the word "Eat me"? And having a full blown temper and having a full blown. I should know this. My children have these all the time. Speaking of which, Timmy Chan. Now after they do the exercise, they write the yes you did it. And I love it so much. Ooh. You're a brief person. I'm ready. It's what seems like prepared.