Tamlin Deep Dive

Your favorite literary chaos agents Abby and Ronnie are back to kick of their first ACOTAR deep dive - tackling everyone's favorite (or not-so-favorite) High Lord of the Spring Court, TAMLIN! We’ll have you questioning everything you thought you knew about this golden-haired beast.

We start with a heated debate about Tamlin's powers - from his classic High Lord magic to his mysterious shape-shifting abilities that go WAY beyond just turning into a beast! We bring receipts on his ability to shift, glamour, and even his secret wind power that he keeps under wraps. Why would a High Lord hide one of his powers? Could it reveal a secret (and sad) connection to Hybern?

Then we dive into the burning question: how does Tamlin know so much about Feyre's mortal life? Abby makes a compelling argument that Tamlin’s a daemati, while Ronnie brings out a completely on point theory that Tamlin might have orchestrated the events that led to ACOTAR.

We tackle the puzzling connection between Tamlin and Rhys - why would Tamlin wear Illyrian hunting knives when he supposedly hates everything about the Night Court? We examine their complicated past friendship and the tragic events that tore them apart. Could there be more to the story of Rhys's mother and sister than we've been told?

Our investigation takes a fascinating turn when we question why Feyre keeps falling asleep uncontrollably around Tamlin. Is it just symbolism for how he dulls her senses, or is something more sinister at play? We analyze four specific instances and what they might reveal about Tamlin's true nature.

In our first-ever Mass-verse section (spoiler warning!), we explore the mind-blowing possibilities of Tamlin's lineage. Could he be descended from Rowan and Aelin? Is there a connection to a Prince of Hel from Crescent City? And what about his beast form being the exact sigil of the Pack of Devils? The connections are too striking to ignore!

Our Precog Corner gets particularly unhinged as Ronnie theorizes that Amarantha might have been Tamlin's true mate - but not the Amarantha we knew. Was she possessed by a Valg parasite? Meanwhile, Abby debunks the popular theory that Tamlin and Lucian switched places, and proposes that Tamlin was actually the mercenary who bought Andras's pelt!

Spoilers for the entire ACOTAR series (A Court of Thorns and Roses through A Court of Silver Flames)

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Time Stamps:

00:00 - 03:42: Intro and disclaimers

03:43 - 07:59: Episode structure and announcements

08:00 - 11:05: First impressions of Tamlin

11:06 - 18:16: Tamlin's powers and abilities

18:17 - 24:17: How does Tamlin know so much about Feyre's mortal life?

24:18 - 29:35: Is Tamlin a daemati?

29:36 - 34:16: Did Tamlin manipulate Feyre's entire life?

34:17 - 38:17: Tamlin's connection to Amarantha

38:18 - 43:18: Why does Tamlin wear Illyrian hunting knives?

43:19 - 50:31: Tamlin, Rhys, and the death of Rhys's family

50:32 - 58:09: Why does Feyre keep falling asleep around Tamlin?

58:10 - 59:04: MAASVERSE Deep Dive

59:05 - 1:06:47: MAASVERSE: Where do Tamlin's powers come from?

1:06:48 - 1:12:36: MAASVERSE: Tamlin's connection to the wolves in Crescent City

1:12:37 - 1:20:08: Precog Corner: Was Amarantha Tamlin's mate?

1:20:09 - 1:25:34: Precog Corner: Debunking the Tamlin/Lucien switch theory

1:25:35 - 1:28:54: What we're reading and outro

Your favorite literary chaos agents Abby and Ronnie are back for season 2 with a brand new obsession - the ACOTAR series! We're diving headfirst into Sarah J. Maas's world of fae, magic, and swoon-worthy romance, and we couldn't be more excited to share our thoughts with you!

We kick things off with our overall impressions of A Court of Thorns and Roses as a series, and let's just say we're completely obsessed. Abby confesses that after finishing the Empyrean series, she knew ACOTAR would take over her life (spoiler: it absolutely did). We start with what we love about the series (it’s character development), then we dive into our book-by-book reactions.

While initially slow, we both think A Court of Thorns and Roses is genius on a reread! It takes all the tropes we've come to expect and completely flips them on their head. What seems like a swoon-worthy romance with Tamlin on first read reveals itself as something much darker when you know what's coming.

A Court of Mist and Fury is nearly perfect. It's a beautiful story about love and healing cleverly disguised as fantasy.. Watching Feyre's journey from broken to whole with Rhys by her side is just magical. Ronnie admits, "This book healed a part of me I didn't even know was broken." The character development is just chef's kiss!

A Court of Wings and Ruin brings us Vengeful Feyre and we are here for it! We love seeing her come into her power, and the world-building really expands in this book. The battle scenes are surprisingly engaging because they focus on personal moments rather than just swords clashing. And let's not forget those hints of Cassian and Nesta that had us screaming!

A Court of Frost and Starlight gives us a warm hug of an interlude, though we both agree Feyre is kind of insufferable here, especially in how she treats Nesta. And finally, A Court of Silver Flames - when we die, please bury us with this book! Nesta's journey is raw, real, and so beautifully written. The sex scenes are hands down the best in the series (we said what we said), and watching Cassian stand by Nesta when everyone else abandons her is just everything.

We reveal our favorite and least favorite characters, choose our top sleeper pick characters (we’re team Eris), and each pick our top three moment from the series (Azriel and Cassian landing on the ice, anyone?). This is just the beginning of our ACOTAR journey and we’re so excited to get started! We'll be diving deep into specific topics, characters, and theories in future episodes. And don't worry - we'll always give you a heads-up before any Crescent City or Throne of Glass spoilers!

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Your favorite literary chaos agents Abby and Ronnie are back with their FINAL episode on the Empyrean series! Join us for Part Two of our Book Four Predictions where we dive DEEPER into our theories and tie everything together before we officially move on to ACOTAR!

We kick things off lamenting the summer heat before diving into our most burning questions about what's coming in Book Four. We explore what Violet will be able to do with her dreamwalking abilities - can she spy on people? Create things in dreams? TRAP people there? The possibilities are wild and we're here for all of them!

Then we tackle the future of Violet and Xaden’'s relationship (they're endgame, but that doesn't mean smooth sailing). We predict this will be another book of doubting Xaden - not their relationship, but everything else about him. With Xaden now publicly known as Venin, Violet will face a serious political challenge as Duchess while wrestling with all the secrets he's kept from her. How will she defend him after what happened at Draithus?

We explore what we'll learn from Grandma Niara (finally!), including what really happened when Brennan and Mira were left with her, Asher's mysterious travels, and what Lilith and Asher were ACTUALLY doing during the Tyrrish rebellion. Plus, we theorize about Mira's incredible ward-creating abilities - is she wielding pure power like Violet?

Our Basgiath predictions get intense as we question whether the dragons will continue fighting for Navarre when they know the real threat is the Venin. Will we see full civil war? Will more dragons defect to Tyrrendor? And what about those six missing dragon eggs?! We break down all our theories: are they with Xaden as an offering to the gods? Being used to fire another wardstone? Or taken by Navarre as an act of war?

We round it all out with our predictions about the Venin cure (yes, we think we'll find it, but no, we don't think Xaden will be cured yet), what we'll finally learn about Naolin and Brennan's mysterious past, and how the gods will play into everything. Plus, we share what we're currently reading - Ronnie's deep in ACOTAR's Wings and Ruin while Abby's enjoying The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

This is officially our LAST episode on the Empyrean series before we dive into ACOTAR for Season 2! Our first ACOTAR episode will be a general overview, followed by a deep dive on everyone's favorite Spring Court lord, Tamlin (trust us, it'll be good!).

Spoilers for the ENTIRE Empyrean Series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm)

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#onyxstorm #ironflame #fourthwing #violetsorrengail #xadenriorson #rebeccayarros #fantasy #podcast #romantasy #empyrean #book #bookpodcast #predictions #theories #acotar #sarahjmaas

Time Stamps:

00:00 - 03:50: We’re not summer girls anymore

03:51 - 05:19: Announcements (TV show updates and ACOTAR news)

05:20 - 18:23: Corrections and social media shout-outs

18:24 - 26:25: Book 4 Predictions - What will Violet do in dreams?

26:26 - 31:04: What will happen with Violet and Xayden's relationship?

31:05 - 34:50: What will we learn from Grandma Niara?

34:51 - 38:17: What will become of Basgiath in Book Four?

38:18 - 42:16: Will there be Venin offspring? Who will it be?

42:17 - 45:09: What will we learn about the Venin in Book Four?

45:10 - 50:32: What role will the gods play in book 4?

50:33 - 54:56: What role will the dragons and the Irids play?

54:57 - 1:01:33: What else will be uncovered about the history of the continent and the isles?

1:01:34 - 1:04:30: Will we find the cure in book 4?

1:04:31 - 1:06:39: Will we finally learn what happened with Naolin and Brennan?

1:06:40 - 1:09:35: How will the six missing dragon eggs play into the plot?

1:09:36 - 1:16:28: What we're reading and Season 2 preview

Your favorite literary chaos agents Abby and Ronnie are back with their most forward-looking episode yet - Onyx Storm: Book Four Predictions Part 1! Just when you thought they were done with the Empyrean series, they've returned for one last wild ride through their theories before moving on to their next adventure.

We kick things off with the clip that broke booktok - Sarah J. Maas's announcement that the first “drafts” for the next ACOTAR book are done! Was it an arrow? Was it an 8? Was it something else entirely? Then we dive into our actual predictions for Rebecca Yarros's fourth Empyrean book. Despite promising we were done with Navarre for the time being, we just couldn't resist giving you what you asked for - a comprehensive theory roundup and prediction fest!

First, we explore how Book Four might begin, with Violet struggling to establish her legitimacy as the new Duchess of Tyrrendor (it won't be smooth sailing). We predict constitutional crises, assembly resistance, and potential war with Navarre looming on the horizon. Meanwhile, we theorize that Xaden has captured Berwyn and is torturing him for information about controlling his urges or breaking the Venin's control. And poor Tairn? We think he'll be recovering from his injuries for a while, leaving Andarna to step up as Violet's primary dragon connection.

Then we map out the geographical settings for Book Four, predicting a journey that takes us back to the Isles (particularly Unnbriel and Loysam), across the Emerald Sea (possibly to find the gods?), and potentially to Cordyn for a bargain with Tecarus. We debate whether Violet will leave someone in charge of Tyrrendor (Llewellyn? Brennan? The assembly?) while she searches for Xaden or the missing eggs.

Our death predictions get dark as we discuss who might not survive Book Four - with Ridoc, Dane, Talia, and possibly even Tairn on our list of potential casualties. We also identify our most pivotal characters for the next book, including Aaric (the pre-cog who knows way more than he's letting on), Bodhi (either as "the brother" or Violet's supporter), Mira (with her mysterious legacy from Lilith), Dane (possibly a Venin offspring?), and Imogen (who knows what happened during those missing twelve hours).

Our plot twist predictions will blow your mind! We dive deep into Norse mythology to explore what Fen Riorson's name might reveal about Xaden's lineage, theorize that Violet will learn to walk into minds while awake (not just dreams!), and suggest that Asher might have been a secret Irid rider who manipulated time. Plus, we predict the next book's title will start with "Silver" - maybe Silver Thread or Silver Shroud?

This episode is basically one giant Precog Corner where no theory is too unhinged and no detail goes unanalyzed. We're wrapping up our Empyrean coverage (for real this time!) before launching our ACOTAR season on August 11th, so don't miss Part 2 next week!

Spoilers for the entire Empyrean Series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm)

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#onyxstorm #ironflame #fourthwing #violetsorrengail #xadenriorson #rebeccayarros #fantasy #podcast #romantasy #empyrean #book #booklover #bookpodcast #bookpodcasts #acotar #sjm #predictions #theories

Time Stamps:

00:00 - 05:33: The clip that broke booktok

05:34 - 10:56: Corrections and social media shoutouts

10:57 - 19:10: How Book Four might begin

19:11 - 33:32: Geographical settings

33:33 - 38:17: How we'll learn what's happening with Xaden

38:18 - 48:12: Who might die

48:13 - 58:34: Most pivotal characters

58:35 - 1:07:45: Plot twist predictions

1:07:46 - 1:21:10: Title predictions

1:21:11 - 1:26:40: What we're reading

1:26:41 - 1:31:16: Social media information and ACOTAR season announcement

Your favorite literary chaos agents Abby and Ronnie are back with the delightfully chaotic "Onyx Storm: Loose Ends!" We tackle all those burning questions from Onyx Storm that they couldn’t quite fit into an episode, but still deserve their time to shine! Some come from you, our amazing listeners, while others are plot points we've been stewing over that deserve answers in the next book!

First, we explore possible mistranslations in Warrick's journal entries. Could Violet's shaky command of Old Lucerish have led her astray? Would Violet and Dain would even know the proper words for "Venin" or "Irid" in Old Lucerish?

Next, we analyze those mysterious black bracelets—Mira's black tourmaline bracelet from Niara and the onyx cuff Violet gives to Xaden. Could these bracelets offer psychic protection? And what about Xaden's onyx cuff containing a piece of Riorson House roof? Is it helping ground his magic or protecting his soul?

We debunk the theory that Sgaeyl, Tairn, and Andarna are the three dragons who died from broken bonds—the timeline just doesn't work! Then we dive into the fascinating colors of bonds between riders and dragons. Why is Xaden's bond to Violet shimmering onyx? Why can't Xaden see Andarna at all? Could it be that Andarna and Violet don't have a traditional bond at all?

Our investigation continues with what it means that Violet is Xaden's "leash" or "tether." We explore the thread imagery throughout the books and wonder if every Venin has a tether to their humanity that the Venin leadership aims to destroy. Is this why Jack hated Violet so much from the beginning? Was he a Venin plant all along?

Things get wild when we question why nobody tried using Andarna's scale-changing magic against the Venin again after it worked once! And what was that first rune they removed from the Wardstone? If it wasn't preventing flyers from channeling, could it have been blocking the power of the gods?

In our wildest Precog Corner yet, Ronnie theorizes that "the six and the one combined" might be describing an Irid's ability to change colors, while Abby wonders if the Venin understand signets as ways to traverse different planes of existence—physical, dream world, and astral!

We wrap up with what we're currently reading (Ronnie's forever loyal to ACOMAF and ACOSF, while Abby's struggling through Song of Achilles after being spoiled by Sarah J. Maas's rich worldbuilding).

Spoilers for the entire Empyrean Series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm)

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#onyxstorm #ironflame #fourthwing #violetsorrengail #xadenriorson #rebeccayarros #fantasy #podcast #bookstagram #romantasy

Time Stamps:

00:00 Intro - Everyone should own a pizza stone

05:45 Corrections, Omissions, Social Media Shout Outs - Tairn and Brennan, Bodhi's more powerful than we thought

10:29 Which other journal entries from Warrick might be mistranslated?

22:47 What role will Mira and Xaden's bracelets play in the next books?

32:43 Who are the three dragons that have died with their riders?

35:59 What do the different colors of the bonds between Violet, Tairn, Sgaeyl and Andarna mean?

44:37 What does it mean that Violet is Xaden's leash?

49:47 Was Jack always planning to turn Venin?

52:39 Why was Jesinia assigned to the rider's quadrant?

55:07 What's going on with the Cordella family tree?

57:15 Why does Violet never follow up on magic feeling different when Andarna changes her scales?!?

01:01:06 What was the first rune that Violet + co. removed from the wardstone?

01:08:26 Precog Corner - The One combined, The Astral Plane

01:14:46 What we're reading - ACOTAR, Song of Achilles

Your favorite literary chaos agents Abby and Ronnie are back with “Onyx Storm: Mailbag #3 / The Epilogue” - answering all your burning questions about the ending of Onyx Storm! This mailbag-plus episode dives into your comments, theories, and the details we missed in our previous discussions.

We kick things off with a deep dive into the identity of "the brother" - examining your compelling arguments for Garrick, Aaric, and even some wild cards like Panchek! We bring receipts on the timeline discrepancies, chapter overlaps, and why we're still firmly Team Bodhi despite your excellent counterpoints. Could Imogen's chapter be happening in parallel with Xaden in the valley? We analyze every possible male character in the battle and whether they could fit the criteria!

Next, we tackle Xaden's mysterious plan and the stolen dragon eggs. Could they be gathering materials to fire another Wardstone? We break down the exact timeline for dragon maturation (only 3-4 years!), discuss whether they'd need an Irid's help, and question how anyone would know which color each egg would hatch since “only elders” know what color a hatchling’s scales will be.

Then we address the passionate debate about where Xaden and Violet got married - was it really Unnbriel or did they risk everything by returning to Aretia? We examine the evidence: the ceremonial dagger from Dune's temple in Aretia, the favor owed, and the practical challenges of a Venin walking into warded territory. Something doesn't add up!

We round out with our wildest theories yet - how will Violet find Xaden? Could it be the stupid broken compass? Could it be Cat's mind-blowing tracking runes? Or is it possible that the Irids can track each other the way Venin can?

In our most revealing Precog Corner yet, we get into evidence that Violet isn't just dreamwalking while people sleep - she's entering minds while they're fully awake! We also theorize that when Xaden writes "it is yours now," he might be giving up more than just his title - what if Venin lose their human names entirely when they turn? The implications are heartbreaking!

Spoilers for the entire Empyrean Series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm)

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Time Stamps:

00:00 - 03:18: Intro and 90s food nostalgia

03:19 - 06:53: Announcements and episode overview

06:54 - 11:07: The Brother debate - Garrick timeline theories

11:08 - 18:16: Could Imogen's chapter be happening in parallel?

18:17 - 22:42: Arguments against Bodhi being the brother

22:43 - 31:08: Examining Aaric as a candidate

31:09 - 35:07: Wild card theories (Panchek, Sawyer, and secret sons)

35:08 - 41:05: Xaden's plan and the stolen dragon eggs

41:06 - 49:18: Dragon scales being hereditary and what it means

49:19 - 54:22: Where did Violet and Xaden get married?

54:23 - 59:57: How will Violet find Xaden?

59:58 - 1:05:16: Irids tracking each other and Leothan's mysteries

1:05:17 - 1:11:17: Precog Corner: Dreamwalking while awake theory

1:11:18 - 1:15:36: Precog Corner: Venin names and identities

1:15:37 - 1:19:00: What we're reading and outro

The Iron Squad Fantasy Draft!!

Your favorite literary chaos agents Abby and Ronnie are back with a FUN twist on their usual deep dives - it's IRON SQUAD FANTASY DRAFT time! We're taking a break from our usual theory-heavy episodes to play a little game. Some of it's serious, some of it's silly, all of it's fun.

For each category, we each get to pick one Iron Squad member, but we can't pick the same person. Our draft pool includes Dain, Rhi, Ridoc, Aaric, Sawyer, Maren, and Cat.

First up: Who's the most powerful member of the Iron Squad? Is Cat more powerful than we thing? And how powerful is Molvic?

Things get juicy when we debate who's most likely to betray Violet. Ronnie picks Ridoc (but only because he'd think it was for Violet's own good), while Abby makes a compelling case for Maren, whose parents were killed in a trap meant for Violet. We also tackle the most unlikely couple in the Iron Squad (Rhi and Ridoc give major sibling vibes) and whose signet would be the ABSOLUTE WORST to accidentally wield during sex (freezing your partner mid-moment? No thank you, Ridoc!).

The laughs start coming when we pick whose signet would be the BEST to accidentally wield during sex (Cat, obviously - emotion manipulation has its perks!), who will play the biggest role in upcoming books, and who our personal favorites are. Poor Sawyer barely gets any picks throughout our draft, confirming Rebecca's admission that she hasn't given him enough attention!

In our wildest Precog Corner yet, Abby dives into the fascinating mythology behind our Iron Squad members' names. Did you know that Aetos means "eagle" in Greek and refers to Zeus's childhood companion who was later the object of Hera’s jealousy? The parallels to Dain, Violet, and Xaden are too eerie to be a coincidence.

Ronnie counters with a theory about the cure for Venin that might just change everything: What if there IS no cure because channeling from the source is simply a choice that Venin have to stop making? What if the entire series is actually a massive allegory for addiction? The implications are chilling!

We wrap up with our current reads - Abby's loving "This Is How You Lose the Time War" (a tight, dense novella about two beings on opposite sides of a time war falling in love through letters), while Ronnie's rereading A Court of Thorns and Roses and discovering all the hidden gems she missed the first time around.

Spoilers for the ENTIRE Empyrean Series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm)

Follow us on social media:

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Discord: Dragons In the Details Pod Server

Email us your questions and theories at dragonsinthedetailspod@gmail.com - we love hearing from you!

Please remember to rate, subscribe, and review! We REALLY appreciate it!

#onyxstorm #ironflame #fourthwing #violetsorrengail #xadenriorson #rebeccayarros #fantasy #podcast #bookstagram #romantasy #empyrean #rebeccayaros #book #booklover #bookstagram #booktok #bookpodcast #bookpodcasts #ironsquad #romantasy #romantasybooks #dain #rhi #ridoc #aaric #cat #maren #sawyer

Time Stamps:

00:00 - 04:44: Intro - Coca Cola still hasn't called

04:45 - 08:32: Announcements and podcast milestones

08:33 - 12:26: C/O/SM

12:27 - 18:16: Draft rules!

18:17 - 33:32: Who is the most powerful member of the Iron Squad?

33:33 - 41:39: Who is most likely to betray Violet?

41:40 - 46:51: Most unlikely couple in the Iron Squad

46:52 - 50:24: Whose signet would be the worst to accidentally wield during sex?

50:25 - 53:32: Whose signet would be the best to accidentally wield during sex?

53:33 - 59:19: Who is most likely to die?

59:20 - 1:05:05: Who will play the biggest role in upcoming books?

1:05:06 - 1:07:36: Who's your favorite member of the Iron Squad?

1:07:37 - 1:18:18: Precog Corner: Dain's name, what if there is no cure?

1:18:19 - 1:22:10: What we're reading!