Romantasy Roundtable: Fantasy Romance Reviews

CRESCENT CITY 2: HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH | CROISSANT 2, ELECTRIC BOOGALOO | Romantasy Roundtable WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THE MULTIVERSE. And apparently the best way to explain 800+ pages of murder, rebellion, space vampires, magical batteries, morally questionable queens, mind-sex, and 15,000-year-old conspiracies is… THE JETSONS MEET THE FLINTSTONES. In this episode of Romantasy Roundtable, Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly dive into Sarah J. Maas’s House of Sky and Breath, the second book in the Crescent City series. And yes, we have NOTES. So many notes. Enough notes to apparently fill 38,000 pages. We’re talking Bryce trying desperately to have a normal life, Hunt and Bryce finally embracing the mating bond, Rune and Day’s absolutely fantastic slow-burn romance, Danica’s MANY secrets, the Asteri being interdimensional energy vampires, and the ending that finally connects Crescent City to the Maasverse in the most “HOLY SHIT, THOSE ARE OUR PEOPLE” way possible. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT: • Bryce trying to have a normal life… LOL. Absolutely not. • Bryce’s growing responsibility and whether she’s actually becoming a leader • Bryce and Hunt’s relationship, the mating bond, and whether they actually earned it • The best soup in the book: Rune and Day having SEX IN THEIR MINDS • Rune going from “Bryce’s hot brother” to one of the most interesting characters in the book • The reveal that Day is the Hind • Lydia/Hind and the morality of fighting a brutal system from the inside • Cormac: hot, annoying, complicated… and ultimately VERY dead • Ethan finding a new family with Rune, Flynn, Declan, and Theon — aka the frat house for emotionally damaged supernatural men • Theon being an absolute fucking idiot and somehow repeatedly escaping one magical contract by signing another • The Viper Queen and why we absolutely do NOT trust her… but also kind of do • ARIADNE. THE DRAGON. • First Light and the horrifying truth about how the Asteri harvest the energy of their citizens • SECOND LIGHT — because apparently the Asteri weren’t done being horrifying after death • The Asteri revealed as interdimensional space vampires harvesting entire worlds • Pivian, other worlds, and the massive implications for the Maasverse • Danica’s secrets and why Bryce discovering she barely knew her best friend is devastating • Sophie and Emil, the Thunderbird mystery, and whether their storyline actually paid off • The morally gray rebellion and the question of whether “the good guys” are actually good • The history of Midgard being propaganda written by the victors • Dusk’s Truth, the mysterious Dusk Court theory, and Amanda planting her Maasverse red string board • Bryce’s powers, the Horn, gates, rifts, teleportation, and why her magic might be about ACCESS rather than light • The theory that the gates in Crescent City connect to the gates in Throne of Glass • WHY IS HUNT’S POWER SO COMPATIBLE WITH BRYCE?! • The Asteri controlling everyone by keeping every faction fighting everyone else • Bryce infiltrating the Asteri palace and discovering the truth • Hunt, Rune, Lydia, Baxian, and the absolute chaos of the final confrontation • Bryce grabbing the Star Sword, opening a rift, and YEETING HERSELF THROUGH A PORTAL • And then… THE ACOTAR INNER CIRCLE. And then we have to discuss THE ENDING. Rick had the full “HOLY SHIT” reaction. Kimberly didn’t even get to experience it properly because Rick insisted on reading the final scene to her. And Amanda… well, Amanda had been waiting for the famous Maasverse pizza and discovered that the pizza was, in fact, just pizza. Basically, everyone told Amanda: “You HAVE to finish Crescent City 2. Something HUGE happens.” Something huge happened. It was people from ACOTAR. Amanda: “THAT’S IT?! I HAVE TO READ ANOTHER 865 PAGES?!” We also debate whether House of Sky and Breath actually delivers on its massive lore setup, whether Sarah J. Maas has simply created Too Many Fucking Characters™, and whether the multiverse connection makes the Asteri threat infinitely more interesting. FINAL RATING: 4 stars / 3.5 soup (And yes, Rick was literally riding an Icelandic pony while we figured this out.) SPOILERS: This episode contains FULL SPOILERS for House of Sky and Breath and major Maasverse/ACOTAR discussion. If you haven't finished the book, GO READ IT FIRST! HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH Sarah J. Maas Crescent City #2 Next up: HOUSE OF FLAME AND SHADOW. Then Threshing Day. Then our MASSIVE Maasverse red-string prediction episode. And then… ACOTAR 6. If you enjoyed the episode, PLEASE LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a comment! And most importantly… WAS THE ACOTAR CAMEO WORTH 800+ PAGES OF QUESTIONS?! Find us everywhere: Instagram & TikTok: @RomantasyRoundtable Email: [romantasyroundtable@gmail.com](mailto:romantasyroundtable@gmail.com)

Episode Title: Crescent City Pt. 1: House of Earth and Blood! Hawaiian Pizza, Vacuum Cleaners, & Lehabah's Sacrifice! Description: Grab your Baja Blast and order a questionable Hawaiian pie from the corner store, Rose Buds, because we are officially entering Crescent City! With Amanda getting married in less than a week, the Romantasy Roundtable squad is pre-recording an epic three-part deep dive into Sarah J. Maas's most chaotic, divisive, and action-packed series to date. Rick, Amanda, and Kim are breaking down House of Earth and Blood from start to finish! From Rick's legendary pizza theory (ACOTAR is Domino's, Throne of Glass is authentic Italian wood-fired, and Crescent City is NYC pineapple pizza) to Kim's frantic 45-second recap, we tackle every wild piece of Lunathion lore. We are talking four bureaucratic houses, Hebrew angels, cell phones, Magitech labs, the frat-house glory of Ruhn Danaan and the boys, and why Syrinx the lion-pug chimera is the greatest little guy in fantasy. Plus, we walk through the brutal murder of Danica and the Pack of Devils, Hunt Athlar's tragic enslavement, Micah's livestreamed downfall, and the ultimate tearjerker: Lehabah's unforgettable sacrifice. Pack your bags for Midgard and get ready for pure, unhinged romantasy yapping! Key Highlights & What The Squad Said: • The SJM Pizza Analogy: Rick explains why ACOTAR is reliable Domino's, Throne of Glass is a Michelin-star Italian brick-oven pizza, and Crescent City is Hawaiian pizza with pineapple—some people think it's brilliant, others want it slapped out of their face! • Kim's 45-Second Book Speedrun: Kim attempts to recap an 800-page fantasy epic in 45 seconds, shouting about Danica's death, Micah the Archangel, and Bryce sucking up the villain's demonic ashes with a vacuum cleaner! • Midgard Lore & Bureaucracy Overload: The squad breaks down the four houses, the Asteri, the SPQM slave branding, the First Light power grid, and why the Malakim angels have Amanda giving Hebrew language lessons. • Danica, Connor, & The Pack of Devils: Bryce's party-girl world is shattered when her bestie Danica and the entire Pack of Devils are brutally slaughtered. Rick and Kim re-ignite the debate over whether Taylor Swift's Ruin the Friendship is about Bryce and Connor or Aelin and Sam Cortland! • Grumpy / Grumpy Buddy Cops: Fast-forward 22 months: Bryce is paired with Hunt Athlar (the Umbra Mortis). Between stakeouts, panic attacks, and feeding Hunt junk food, the two realize they understand each other's trauma on a molecular level. • Ruhn Danaan & The Frat Boys: Introducing Crown Prince Ruhn Danaan (the star-sword wielding chosen one with a side-shave and lip ring) alongside Declan Emmett and Tristan Flynn, living in an actual frat house swinging from chandeliers. • Syrinx & Lehabah Steal Our Hearts: Syrinx the chimera teleports around biting Hunt's ass, while Lehabah the fire sprite watches reality TV (Fangs and Bangs!) and wins everyone's heart. • The Synth Sting & Betrayal: Hunt secretly plots to steal the military stimulant Synth to restart the rebellion. When the sting goes wrong, Sandriel flogs him and cuts off his wings, forcing Ruhn to invoke Fae law to save Bryce from financial ruin. • Lehabah's Legendary Final Words: Micah traps Bryce in the gallery and drops Syrinx into a tank with a terrifying Nøkk. Lehabah unleashes her unbridled fire magic to shatter the glass, giving her life with the unforgettable words: "My friends are with me, and I am not afraid." • Industrial Vacuum Cleaner Justice: Bryce shoots Micah with the Godslayer rifle, burns his body, and literally vacuums up his demonic remains while all the city rulers watch live on camera! • The Drop & "Light It Up, Bitch": Danica tattooed Luna's Horn onto Bryce's back! Bryce rides her scooter into the fray, plunges into the bedrock of Midgard alone, and Danica anchors her soul from across the veil. Hunt catches her as their powers merge to incinerate every demon in Lunathion! • Sunball Debate & Final Ratings: What even is Sunball? Rugby? Baseball? Blitzball? Amanda rates the book 3.5 stars, Kim gives 3.5 stars, and Rick crowns it 4 stars (and a full 5 stars on reread!). Plus, the squad awards 1.5 cans of soup for that steamy appetizer scene! Closing & Call-To-Action: Where do you stand on Crescent City—do you love the Hawaiian pizza or do the cell phones take you out of the fantasy? Did Lehabah's sacrifice make you sob? Drop your hot takes in the comments below! Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to the channel on YouTube and Spotify, and follow us on Goodreads, StoryGraph, and the Year app. Got theories or want to chat with the crew? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! See you next week for House of Sky and Breath!

Episode Title: ACOTAR Book Rankings: ACOMAF Wins, Silver Flames Chaos & the Christmas Special! Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! In this special ACOTAR episode, Rick, Amanda, and Kim rank all five books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series in anticipation of ACOTAR 6! From the gateway-to-romantasy magic of A Court of Thorns and Roses to the emotional chaos of A Court of Silver Flames, we're debating which book deserves the crown—and apparently using cover colors because nobody can remember the titles. There are strong opinions, immediate disagreements, Star Wars references, soup, and one very important question: how much shopping is too much shopping? We revisit Feyre's journey, Rhysand's transformation, the Tamlin twist, the war, the Valkyries, Nesta's redemption, Cassian's backstory, and the infamous Chapter 55 soup scene. Plus, we discuss why A Court of Silver Flames is simultaneously a five-star book and, according to Amanda, a zero-star experience whenever Rhysand and Feyre show up. Key Topics Discussed: • The ACOTAR Book Ranking: We rank A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames from worst to best—and yes, the rankings get spicy. • #5: A Court of Frost and Starlight: The Christmas special gets absolutely roasted. Rick's first read was four stars; the reread dropped it to three. Amanda reminds us that the book is basically everyone shopping for Christmas presents, while the part that actually matters is Cassian flying over the mountain and remembering his mother. • #4: A Court of Thorns and Roses: The original gateway into romantasy! We talk about the Beauty and the Beast setup, Amarantha's unforgettable presence, and why this book is important even if the later books are stronger. • #3: A Court of Wings and Ruin: The war-heavy installment may be less memorable for some of us, but the beginning and ending still hit. Feyre infiltrating the Spring Court, creepy twins, Amarantha's legacy, the King of Hybern's death, and Nesta's legendary throat-ripping moment all get their due. • #2: A Court of Silver Flames: Nesta, Cassian, the Valkyries, and SOUP. We talk about why this book has so much going for it—and why the Rhysand/Feyre pregnancy storyline is the one thing holding it back for Amanda and Kim. • #1: A Court of Mist and Fury: The unanimous favorite for Amanda and Kim, and nearly the top choice for Rick. We discuss Feyre's transformation, the expansion of the ACOTAR world, the Rhysand twist, the mating bond reveal, and that unforgettable line: “There you are. I've been looking for you.” • The Chapter 55 Soup Scene: It wouldn't be an ACOTAR ranking without talking about the soup. Rick still considers it one of the defining moments of the series, and we are absolutely not afraid of the soup. • Rhysand Gets Knocked Off the Pedestal: We debate the difference between loving a character and approving of everything they do. Does Silver Flames give us a more complete picture of Rhysand, or did Sarah J. Maas take things too far? • Nesta's Redemption Changes Everything: Rick explains why Silver Flames completely changed his view of Nesta after initially hating her. We discuss hitting rock bottom, growth, redemption, and whether the series is showing us that nobody is truly irredeemable. • What Comes Next for ACOTAR?: We speculate about the future of the series, including the possibility of multiple perspectives, characters working through betrayals, and whether Feyre and Rhysand will actually have to confront what happened in Silver Flames. Closing/Call-to-Action: What is YOUR ACOTAR book ranking? Is A Court of Mist and Fury the undisputed champion, or are you defending Silver Flames, Wings and Ruin, or even the Christmas special? How much did Silver Flames change your opinion of Rhysand and Nesta? Drop your rankings in the comments! Don't forget to like, subscribe, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got an ACOTAR hot take or want to argue with Rick about soup? Email us at romancinground@gmail.com! And get ready for Romantasy Fall 2026—because apparently we're all booked.

THE KNAVE AND THE MOON — Chapters 16–30 | HOW DID IT END?! | Romantasy Roundtable WE MADE IT TO THE END. And somehow we went from “haha funny gargoyle in a pink robe” to earthquakes, forest fires, royal coups, martyrdom, death, resurrection, and a gargoyle who might literally be becoming a storytelling god. In this episode of Romantasy Roundtable, Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly finish Rachel Gillig’s The Knave and the Moon, the second book in the Stonewater Kingdom duology, covering Chapters 16 through 30. And yes… there are A LOT of feelings. We’re talking about Bartholomew being the absolute MVP, Benji spiraling further into madness, Rory and Cybil’s relationship, the truth behind the sacred spring and the Tour, and the increasingly unhinged ways Rachel Gillig manages to make us love these characters before absolutely DESTROYING US. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT: • Rory putting Benji in his place… and why that definitely comes back to bite him • Bartholomew. In. The. Pink. Robe. • The lore behind sprites, gargoyles, stone, and the Stonewater Kingdom • Rory and Cybil’s reunion, romance, and some VERY important “soup” • Cybil’s determination to sacrifice herself and whether the book gives that storyline enough emotional weight • Benji’s increasingly unhinged descent into villainy • The tournament of champions and Bartholomew absolutely DOMINATING • Hamlin Fischer being exactly as awful as we expected • The forest fire, the deaths, and Bartholomew’s heartbreaking sacrifice • The truth about the Tour and the ancient sprite beneath it • Bartholomew’s relationship with the children of the kingdom — prepare yourselves • Cybil giving Bartholomew a surname and WHY IT IS SO DAMN SWEET • Rory’s love confession • The return of the sheepkin rug™ • Ma Bower becoming king… and then THAT happening • The final duel between Cybil and Benji • Benji’s final fate and why Rick actually felt bad for the little bastard • Bartholomew’s death… • THE ENDING. THE ENDING. THE ENDING. • The beautiful final chapters and the idea that stories change every time they’re told • Whether the entire Stonewater Kingdom duology could actually be one of Bartholomew’s retellings • Our final ratings: 5 Stars and TWO SOUPS We also talk about why The Knave and the Moon made us appreciate The Knight and the Moth even MORE, how Rachel Gillig manages to blend romance, fantasy, darkness, whimsy, and almost Disney-movie-level storytelling, and why this duology feels like two halves of one complete story. And, naturally, we have to discuss Bartholomew’s impeccable vocabulary, including his truly elite use of the word “bitch.” Plus: Rick gives another shoutout to Robert Biehn’s The First Stone, Kimberly continues reading it, Amanda is apparently planning a wedding instead of reading, and we reveal what’s coming next on Romantasy Roundtable! SPOILERS: This episode contains FULL SPOILERS for The Knave and the Moon AND The Knight and the Moth. If you haven’t finished the duology, GO READ IT FIRST! THE KNAVE AND THE MOON Rachel Gillig Stonewater Kingdom #2 If you enjoyed the episode, PLEASE LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a comment! Tell us what YOU thought of the ending, whether you saw the twists coming, and most importantly… DID BARTHOLOMEW DESERVE THIS MUCH PAIN?! Find us everywhere: Instagram & TikTok: @RomantasyRoundtable Email: romantasyroundtable@gmail.com

Description: Welcome back, Rose Buds! After conquering Kingdom of Ash and cleansing our palettes with Heartstopper, and ACOTAR reactions, the Romantasy Roundtable is officially kicking off spooky fantasy season with Rachel Gillig's brand-new release, The Knave on the Moon (Chapters 1 through 15)! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are back in the studio diving into the first half of the epic Stonewater Kingdom duology conclusion. But before we get to our favorite one-winged stone bat, we have got to tackle the critical news: Taco Bell bringing back the Choco Taco, Kim consuming an entire birthday chocolate cake in 48 hours, Rick confusing Eleanor Roosevelt with Marie Antoinette during the Great Depression, and our brand-new official partnership with the Yearn app! Plus, Rick gives early love to an incredible ARC fantasy, The First Stone by Robert Biehn. Then, it is straight into the gothic, eerie world of Erilea meets gothic folklore as Sybil Delling and an amnesiac Rory Mandacius fight their way through King Benedict III's corrupt Five Hamlet Tournament. Grab your mild sauce, put on your fluffiest pink thrift-flower gown, and let us dive into the madness! Key Highlights & What The Squad Said: • Taco Bell & Marie Antoinette History Lessons: Rick celebrates the return of the Choco Taco (aka Churro Taco) and claims Eleanor Roosevelt said "Let them eat cake" during the Great Depression, while Kim celebrates her birthday with an entire grocery store chocolate cake. • ARC Spotlight - The First Stone: Rick and Kim gush over an early ARC of The First Stone by Robert Biehn, describing it as Mistborn meets Avatar: The Last Airbender with elemental magic, fantastic pacing, and clean YA worldbuilding edited by the editor of Red Rising. • Prologue Lore - The Cosmic Maiden Buffet: The squad breaks down the creepy mythological prologue where mortals devour an all-knowing cosmic maiden in the Fields of Broograss, forcing her into an eternal slumber of minor tunes that mirrors the looming plot. • Sybil Trapped & Benji Barlow's Forced Wedding: Sybil wakes in Castle Lurch, attempts to strangle King Benji Barlow, and ruins her silk bridal gown with rancid Oxeye sedative before tree sprites crash the sham ceremony. • Rory's Amnesia & Jason Bourne Reflexes: Rory wakes up covered in blood on the Tor with zero memories, gets tackled by Ma Bower, and learns he technically died. Rick compares Rory's instinctual combat hammer skills to Jason Bourne. • Bartholomew is the GOAT of Little Guys: The one-winged stone gargoyle returns in all his unhinged glory, complaining about wool slippers, rocking a pink thrift-flower gown, dropping iconic quotes ("What an arduous process as it is to wait"), and being the absolute goat of sidekicks. • The Five Hamlet Tournament & Eye-Eating Birks: Benji sets up a traveling tournament across the hamlets to flex his stolen stone relics, while the squad faces off against terrifying eyeball-eating Burks in the Chiming Wood. • The Living Sixth Relic: Sybil realizes the prophecies were manufactured, but she herself is the living sixth magical relic, setting her mission to enter the games, destroy every stone object, and kill the king. • The Loomstone Heist & Rory Remembers: At the Coulson Fair lists, Ma Bower shatters her jousting lance against the royal box, allowing Rory to snatch the Loomstone from Torie Basset's neck. His memories flood back: foundling origins, King Benedict I, and his undying love for Sybil. • The Melee & The Knave Unmasked: Dedric Lang beats Sybil's abdominal wound with steel-toed boots, but the mysterious Nave enters the arena with a stonemason's hammer and Sybil's silk scrap, snapping Dedric's wrist and unmasking himself as Rory! • Intimate Blood Divination: In the secret canal factory, Rory fakes amnesia in front of a drunk, paranoid Benji. Sybil grants him his champion's divination, hungrily taking spring-water-infused blood from his finger as Rory whispers their private sacred vow. • The Library Collapse & Pink Robe Rescue: An earthquake crumbles the Harried Scribe's library, Sybil smashes the inkwell relic, and as she nearly drowns in the freezing Tenner River, Bartholomew in his pink robe pulls her from the depths ("There you are, Bartholomew!"). • Disney Princess Hunger Games Debate: Rick derails the pod with a rapid-fire Disney Princess Hunger Games debate: Mulan vs Merida vs Jasmine (with Elsa disqualified for being a queen!). Closing & Call-To-Action: Are you terrified for Bartholomew's crumbling stone wing? Can Sybil reverse her calcified body? Drop your wildest theories in the comments below! Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to the channel wherever you watch or listen, and find us on Instagram, TikTok, and the Year app. Got book recommendations or want to reach out? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! See you next week as we finish The Knave on the Moon with Chapters 16 through the end!

Episode Title: End of Summer Reading Recap: ACOTAR, Crescent City, Kingdom of Ash & Romantasy Bingo! Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are wrapping up the summer with an End of Summer Reading Recap! We’re looking back at what we read, what we loved, what made us rage, our biggest surprises, our worst reads, and what’s coming for Romantasy Fall 2026. And yes, there is an absolutely unreasonable amount of Sarah J. Maas discussion. This summer was basically Rick’s Maasverse Summer. He reread ACOTAR, dove into Crescent City, revisited Throne of Glass and Kingdom of Ash, and finished his 21st book with Crescent City 3. Rereading ACOTAR completely changed his character rankings, with Nesta going from “I fucking hate Nesta” to Rick’s new favorite character. Naturally, this led directly into our ACOTAR Top 10 episode. Key Topics Discussed: • Summer Reading Stats: Kim read 9 books and was aiming for 10, Amanda read 25 with two more planned before Labor Day for 27 books and nearly 13,000 pages, while Rick finished 21 books and roughly 10,500–11,000 pages. • Rick’s Maasverse Deep Dive: ACOTAR, Crescent City, Throne of Glass, Kingdom of Ash, and Heartstopper all made appearances as Rick reread with a new perspective and prepared for ACOTAR 6 and 7. His theme? “The Maasverse.” Of course it was. • Amanda’s Summer of Gold Stars: Amanda completed Ripped Bodice Summer Romance Book Bingo for the second year in a row—with a BLACKOUT! She also finished Goodreads Rewards and admits her theme was basically “I’m stressed out about reading.” • Kim Knows What She Likes: Kim’s favorite read was The Incandescent by Emily Tesh, a dark academia fantasy with queer representation, elder-millennial faculty, and enough “soup” to satisfy the Roundtable. We discuss why it felt like a love letter to educators. • Amanda’s Nostalgia Read: Amanda reread The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, a middle-school favorite, and discovered she relates to Carmen in ways she never could have known at eleven. We also discuss the real-life friendship that inspired her love of the book—and the extremely important Pants symbolism. • Best & Worst Reads: Amanda names Kingdom of Ash her favorite overall read, Rick chooses This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, and Kim picks The Incandescent. Rick gives Throne in the Dark: Villains & Virtues three stars, Amanda chooses Ladies in Hiding, and Kim’s “worst” is Heartstopper 6—not because she disliked it, but because she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her sons. • Favorite Characters: Rick chooses Nesta because she made him furious before completely winning him over. Kim picks the Kingdom of Ash characters she can’t stop thinking about. Amanda has a very different answer—and naturally, it involves a sexy Loch Ness monster. • The Thirteen: Nobody can stop thinking about the Thirteen after Kingdom of Ash. We revisit one of the most devastating moments in Throne of Glass and why those characters have stayed with us. • Unexpected Romances & Tropes: Amanda fell in love with Feverdream by Elsie Silver and discovered that maybe she DOES like cowboy romance… if Elsie Silver writes it. We also talk bisexual representation, the portal/Isekai trope, and books that surprised us. • Romantasy vs. Fantasy: We discuss why we love “romantasy” while also acknowledging criticism that the label can diminish excellent fantasy because its audience is predominantly female. Throne of Glass is not just romantasy. It is GOOD fantasy. • ACOTAR 6 Is Coming: We’re looking ahead to the next era of the podcast with Crescent City, Maasverse predictions, listener theories, and ACOTAR 6. The conspiracy board is officially open. Closing/Call-to-Action: What did YOU read this summer? What was your favorite book, biggest surprise, worst read, or favorite character? Did you finish a reading challenge? What are you most excited to read this fall? Drop your recommendations and hot takes in the comments! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got an ACOTAR 6 theory, Maasverse conspiracy, or book recommendation? Email us at romantyround@gmail.com! The Name of the Moon is coming, Romantasy Fall 2026 is officially here, and apparently we’re all booked.

Episode Title: ACOTAR Top 10 Characters: Cassian Supremacy, Tamlin Justice & the Miniature Pegasus! Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are taking a break from chapter-by-chapter chaos to rank their Top 10 favorite characters from all five ACOTAR books! And naturally, this turns into Cassian supremacy, Rick's ongoing Tamlin apology tour, zero Elain representation, and a very serious debate about the miniature Pegasus. We revisit the characters who made us laugh, cry, rage, and rethink the entire series after rereading A Court of Thorns and Roses through A Court of Silver Flames. From Nesta's redemption arc and Cassian's boyfriend-of-the-year credentials to Lucien getting criminally underrated, Amren being an ancient badass, Azriel needing some serious "Azriel soup," and the Suriel's devastating final moments, we're putting the entire ACOTAR cast on trial. We also debate Rhysand's ranking after Silver Flames, Mor's missing backstory and undeniable ginger energy, Bryaxis just wanting a window, and why none of us could find a spot for Elain. Sorry, Elain. Key Topics Discussed: • Cassian Takes the Crown: Amanda and Kim rank Cassian #1, while Rick gives him #2. We discuss his loyalty, humor, badassery, authenticity, and why the Bat Boys desperately need his levity. • Rick's Tamlin Apology Tour: Tamlin and Rhysand are tied on Rick's list after the reread. Amanda and Kim would like the record to show that this officially makes Rick a Tamlin apologist. • Nesta's Redemption Arc: Rick ranks Nesta #1, Amanda puts her at #4, and Kim is still waiting for the Nesta train to arrive. We discuss trauma, addiction, the Valkyries, and why Nesta's story proves that people can change. • Rhysand vs. Tamlin: Has Silver Flames changed how we see the two High Lords? We revisit control, forgiveness, the pregnancy storyline, and whether either of them gets a free pass. • Azriel, the Shadow Daddy: Amanda ranks Azriel #3 while Rick and Kim place him lower. We talk about his growth, his brooding personality, and our desperate need for more Azriel backstory. • Lucien Deserves Better: Rick puts Lucien at #5 and argues that the fox-boy has spent the entire series taking everyone's crap while still showing up for everyone else. • Amren, the Ancient Badass: Why does this tiny jewel-hoarding menace rank so highly? We discuss her mystery, her tough love toward Nesta, and the backstory we desperately want. • The Suriel Still Hurts: The Suriel makes multiple lists thanks to its wisdom, sacrifice, and unforgettable final scene. Sometimes you don't realize how much you love a character until they die. • Mor Needs a Love Story: Rick ranks Mor #7 and Amanda #5. We love her resilience and cheerful energy, but we NEED more of her backstory—and Amanda still insists she should be a redhead. • The Weird Ones Win: Kim's list includes the Water Wraiths and Bryaxis, because apparently ancient creepy beings with simple emotional needs are exactly her type. Bryaxis just wants a window! • The Miniature Pegasus Debate: Amanda's #10 is a miniature Pegasus. We have questions. You have questions. Where does the tiny horse rank in YOUR Top 10? • Elain Is Missing: None of us ranked Elain. Is she secretly being saved for something huge, or is "boring" simply worse than "evil"? We discuss. Closing/Call-to-Action: Who is YOUR #1 ACOTAR character? Are you Team Cassian, Team Nesta, Team Azriel, or ready to join Rick's Tamlin apology tour? How mad are you that Rhysand and Tamlin tied? Who did we criminally underrate—and where do you rank the miniature Pegasus? Drop your Top 10 in the comments! Like and subscribe on YouTube, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got an ACOTAR hot take or want to defend Tamlin with Rick? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! Next week: we're ranking all five ACOTAR books in real time!

Episode Title: ACOTAR 6 & 7 REACTIONS: New Covers, Koschei, Stygian Spiders & What Was Broken Will Be Remade?! Description: Sarah J. Maas really said, “Here, take TWO books,” and the Romantasy Roundtable immediately stopped its vacation plans to scream about it! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are back for an emergency ACOTAR bonus—sorry, FILLER—episode after SJM dropped the titles, covers, page counts, and blurbs for A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody! ACOTAR 6 is 352 pages, ACOTAR 7 is a MASSIVE 896 pages, and we are officially entering the Valkyrie Cycle with movements one, two, and three... plus a mysterious fourth book still to come?! We break down what this new era of ACOTAR might look like and why the wildly different page counts have us wondering exactly how these books are structured. Then we go FULL conspiracy board on those covers. The first gives us bones, fire, fangs, destruction, renewal, and approximately one million questions. Meanwhile, the second has Rick spiraling because if that is a STYGIAN SPIDER, everyone can get... well, you know. We also dissect Koschei the Deathless, the Night Court's “recent betrayals and revealed truths,” and the former alliances they need to resurrect. Naturally, Rick immediately decides this means TAMLIN REDEMPTION ARC, BABY. Amanda and Kim are... less convinced. And then there's the MUSIC. Splintered Harmony. Forgotten Melody. The Valkyrie Cycle. Movements. The Harp. The Dread Trove. Rick starts connecting musical language and recurring art themes throughout the Maasverse—and admits he has a bigger theory he isn't quite ready to share yet. Plus, we debate whether ACOTAR is about to go full Throne of Glass with an ensemble cast, who the romances of the Valkyrie Cycle might be, whether Rick is ever going to stop complaining about the Valkyrie plot being “too convenient,” and why apparently the money's in the smut, baby. Key Topics Discussed: • ACOTAR 6 & 7 Are Official: Our immediate reactions to the titles, covers, blurbs, and SJM casually dropping two books on us. • The INSANE Page Counts: Why 352 pages for A Court of Splintered Harmony and 896 pages for A Court of Forgotten Melody have us questioning how this story is structured. • Welcome to the Valkyrie Cycle: What do “movements” mean, why is there a mysterious fourth book, and how does A Court of Silver Flames bridge us into this new era? • Koschei the Deathless: Rick refreshes Amanda and Kim on the ancient being, his connection to the Bone Carver and the Weaver, and Vassa's curse. • Bones, Fire & Fangs: Our wildly speculative breakdown of the ACOTAR 6 cover and whether its imagery connects to destruction, renewal, or ancient beings. • THE STYGIAN SPIDER THEORY: Is the A Court of Forgotten Melody cover teasing creatures from another world?! Rick is NOT emotionally prepared. • Harmony, Melody & the Harp: We connect the musical titles and Valkyrie “movements” to the Harp, the Dread Trove, and recurring art themes across the Maasverse. • Tamlin's Redemption Arc?!: Rick hears “betrayals,” “former alliances,” and “find a way back to each other” and somehow concludes that TAMLIN IS BACK. • Who Is This Story About?: Is this a Night Court ensemble story with perspectives scattered everywhere? And most importantly... WHO ARE THE COUPLES?! • The Valkyrie Debate: Rick loves A Court of Silver Flames but still thinks becoming Valkyries happened a little too conveniently. Amanda strongly disagrees. • Gwynriel, Mor + Emerie & Redemption: We discuss ships, possible pairings, and why SJM has proven she can completely change our minds about characters. • Bonus Episode or Filler Episode?: Rick refuses to call this bonus content because apparently we're doing Dragon Ball Z comparisons now. Closing/Call-to-Action: What do YOU think the new ACOTAR covers mean? Is that a Stygian spider? Is Tamlin getting a redemption arc, or is Rick completely delusional? And WHO ARE THE COUPLES?! Drop your theories in the comments below! Don't forget to like, subscribe on YouTube, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got book recommendations, ACOTAR theories, or a Dragon Ball Z membership application for Rick's very lonely Venn diagram? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! See you next time for more completely legitimate “filler” content!

Title: Heartstopper Volumes 1-6: Cozy Palette Cleansers, Wrestling Rants, & Queer Sons! Description: After 24 weeks of fantasy carnage in Throne of Glass, the Romantasy Roundtable squad needed a cozy, wholesome palette cleanser! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are back to yap about Alice Oseman’s beloved graphic novel series, Heartstopper (Volumes 1 through 6). But before diving into Nick and Charlie’s sweet romance, Rick opens the pod with a full-blown WWE SummerSlam rant thanks to an awesome email from listener Jamie Daws in Sydney! We talk Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens breaking his neck and coming back, Chad Gable winning singles gold, Rick’s Italian soccer jersey and Knicks fitted cap, and the most emotional book moments that made us sob (Atmosphere, Kingdom of Ash, and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close!). Then we jump straight into the heartwarming, deeply real YA graphic novel world of Nick and Charlie! Key Topics & What The Squad Said: • SummerSlam & WWE Rants: Jamie Daws asks about Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns, leading Rick into a passionate breakdown of Kevin Owens' comeback, Chad Gable's title win, and how wrestling seasons never actually end. • The Most Emotional Book Moments: Jamie shares Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings, Amanda praises Atmosphere for making her cry through 85% of the book, and Rick brings up the 13 in Kingdom of Ash. • Volume 1 - The Meet Cute & Ben Hope Sucks: Charlie Spring gets recruited to rugby by Nick Nelson, drops Ben Hope's toxic ass, and shares a magical first kiss with Nick at a party before Nick panics into the snow. Rick & Amanda agree: Fuck Ben Hope! • Volume 2 - Bisexual Awakening & Rain Kisses: Nick's iconic rain kiss, coming out to his legendary mom (played by Olivia Coleman in the show!), and declaring his love to the ocean. Rick gives Volume 2 a 5-star rating for its high stakes! • Volume 3 - Paris Trip & Everyone Is Gay: The gang takes a school trip to Paris with two chill chaperones (the art teacher and history teacher hooking up!). Elle and Tao kiss, and Nick notices Charlie's eating habits while searching how to help. • Volume 4 - Mental Health & "I Love You" Run: Charlie blurts out "I Love You" while Nick is in the shower and runs away barefoot! Nick's mom reminds him that supporting Charlie doesn't mean it's his job to fix him, offering an incredible portrayal of adolescent mental health. • Volume 5 - University Fears & Intimacy Conversations: Nick visits Leeds and realizes he wants a future there, while he and Charlie navigate sex, boundaries, and what counts as intimacy beyond heteronormative norms. • Volume 6 - Head Boy, Pride Club, & Mutual Support: Charlie wins Head Boy, calls out Truham's bullying culture, and reassures a terrified Nick about his past mental health scares. Mutual strength and reciprocity at its finest! • Kit Connor & Real World Drama: The squad defends Kit Connor from toxic internet fans who bullied him out of the closet, declaring: "Let his silly golden retriever face live!" • Final Ratings & Public Smut Reading: Kim and Amanda give Heartstopper a 5/5 stars, while Rick gives it 4.5/5 stars (a little too cozy, needs more stakes!). Plus, the squad debates reading Crescent City, ACOTAR headboard scenes, and Elsie Silver smut in public. Closing & Call-To-Action: Are you team 5-stars for Heartstopper or do you agree with Rick that it needed a little more drama? Drop your hot takes and favorite emotional book moments in the comments! Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to the channel wherever you listen or watch on YouTube, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got book recs or want to chat wrestling with Rick? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! See you next time when we jump back into Crescent City and ACOTAR!

Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Finale (Ch. 100-End): Saying Goodbye to All Our Friends! Description: Grab your tissues, Romantasy Roundtable family, because we have officially reached the end of Erilea! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are recapping the explosive, heart-wrenching finale of Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 100 through 121 plus the epilogue). It has been 24 weeks, 22 episodes, and 10,000 pages of pure magic, and we are emotionally ruined in the best way possible! Before diving into the war, we recap some iconic host yapping: Rick getting an Outin portable espresso machine sponsorship and trying cold foam, Samus the dog and Rick both taking Trazodone after shoulder and ACL injuries, attending NYCFC soccer games to see Malachi Jones score, and Kim and Amanda rocking matching enamel pigeon earrings from the craft fair! But then the tears start flowing—all three moments Amanda cried are right here in this section! From Darrow's unmatched face-turn and Gavriel's devastating sacrifice at the city gates, to Aelin riding the Lord of the North into battle like a glowing ghost deer, this finale delivers every single piece of epic fantasy satisfaction. Key Highlights & SEO Topic Breakdown: • Darrow's Emotional Face Turn: Grumpy old Darrow officially names sweet Evangeline his heir, recognizes Lady Lysandra of Caraverre, and gifts Aedion the Sword of Orynth in the ultimate redemption arc (Amanda's 1st cry moment!). • Aelin Rides the Lord of the North: Aelin makes the most cinematic, movie-worthy entrance in fantasy history, riding a glowing ghost stag using his antlers as handlebars to lead the golden cavalry and rucks into Orynth! Rick calls it the coolest scene ever written! ????✨ • Gavriel's Heroic Gate Sacrifice: Gavriel steps beyond the threshold to hold off 20,000 Balk monsters so Aedion can seal the city gates, giving father and son a final moment of mutual pride ("Then we shall shut them together"). RIP Lion of Terrasen! ???????? • Aelin's Masterclass in Villain Banter: Depleted of her nuclear fire magic, Aelin relies on her sharp assassin wit to monologue, distract, and plant seeds of toxic paranoia between Maeve and Erawan while buying critical evacuation time. ???? • The Death of Erawan: Yrene channels her radiant executioner magic alongside Elide plunging Damaris, while Dorian reclaims his father's true name (Dorian Havilliard) to completely incinerate the Dark Lord into leftover dust! ???? • Maeve's Brutal Execution: Fenrys impales Maeve with Goldryn, Aelin cheekily slips Elide's anti-Valg ring onto her finger to burn her from the inside out, and decapitates the Valg Queen once and for all before screaming Yrene's name to the heavens! ???? • The Curse Broken & Kingsflame Blooms: Manon finds a mystical Waste flower blooming in the blood-stained soil where the 13 sacrificed themselves, officially breaking the ancient witch curse and uniting the Crochans and Ironteeth! ???? • Lord Lorcan Lochan Reveal: The podcast gang freaks out over Lorcan taking Elide's last name, confirming the ultimate fan theory! ???? • The Grand Coronation & Blood Oath: Aedion swears his long-awaited blood oath to Aelin in front of the entire court (Amanda's 2nd cry moment!), while the Little Folk (resembling Frozen trolls) scurry in to hand Aelin her crown. ???? • Bittersweet Squad Farewells: The ultimate squad breakup in the courtyard! Yrene promises to be Aelin's doula, Dorian and Manon plan to meet in the middle of flight paths, and Aelin and Rowan watch the Kingsflame bloom across Terrasen in "A Better World" (Amanda's 3rd cry moment!). ???? Closing & Call-To-Action: Which moment made you cry the hardest? Are you team Lorcan Lochan or joining Rick's Tamlin apologist tour? Drop your hot takes in the comments! Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to the channel wherever you listen, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got thoughts on the Maasverse or want to defend Lucien with Rick? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! Join us next week for a wholesome palette cleanser episode on Heartstopper where we yap about our gay sons! Bye rugby! ????

Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Ch. 68-99: The Thirteen, Multiverse Freefalls, and "And So Lorcan Did"! Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are diving straight into the jaw-dropping second half of Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 68 through 99). Grab your tissues and lock your doors because this section broke our hearts, brought down fortresses, and sent us flying across the SJM multiverse! Dorian Havilliard proves he is playing 4D chess by turning into a mouse, a crow, and a wyvern, severing Maeve's world-walking powers, and literally collapsing half of Morath on his way out. Meanwhile, Aelin and Elide leave Uncle Vernon in a sealed room with a cold tankard of ale, Aedion and Lysandra hold down the bloody siege of Orynth, and we finally get the iconic moment: "...And so Lorcan did." Then comes Chapter 89. The Thirteen execute the most heroic, heartbreaking, legendary sacrifice in fantasy history with The Yielding. Live, Manon. Live From the Nameless King stepping up in the Endovier salt mines for the ultimate Dad redemption arc, to Aelin telling the gods to shove it and opening a portal to the Hell realm before freefalling past Bryce and Hunt in Crescent City... this episode has IT ALL. Settle in as we finish Part One and prep for the final stretch of Throne of Glass! Drop your thoughts in the comments, hit that subscribe button, and let us know your favorite moments! Key Topics Discussed: Dorian’s Morath Heist & 4D Chess: Dorian sneaks into Morath, finds the final Word Key in a tragic girl's arm, gets trapped by Maeve, and then casually severs her world-walking abilities before collapsing the entire fortress and flying away as a wyvern. Absolute king behavior. Interrogating Uncle Vernon: Aelin uses a brilliant loophole oath to give Vernon a cold ale and leave him locked in a room forever. Elide gets the key, and nobody sheds a single tear for that man. The Siege of Orynth & Sea Dragon Lysandra: Aedion fights on the front lines, Lysandra shapeshifts into a badger to dig explosive trench traps and a sea dragon to crush Morath’s forces, and Aedion finally drops the sweet confession of love we’ve been waiting for. "...And So Lorcan Did": Elide and Lorcan finally get hot and heavy, giving us one of the most quoted lines in SJM history. (Amanda reveals she thought Lorcan was in Crescent City this whole time!) The Thirteen’s Sacrifice & The Yielding: Asterin and The Thirteen choose ultimate love over obedience. In a blinding flash of pure witch light, they perform The Yielding to destroy the witch towers and save Orynth. Live, Manon. Live (Kim's wall art comes to life and Rick is left completely speechless!) Burger King’s Redemption Arc: Dorian, Aelin, Rowan, and Chaol head into the Endovier salt mines to forge the Lock. Just as soul-destruction hits, the Nameless King (Daddy Dorian) steps in to pay the debt. Aelin shoves Dorian back to safety, leaving her fire magic drained down to a single drop of water and an ember. Freefalling Through the Multiverse: Aelin tells the arrogant gods where to go, opens a portal to the Hell realm inside their sky, and freefalls across worlds—passing a winged male and his mate in a starry city (hello, Bryce and Hunt!)—guided right back to Rowan's soul tether.

Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Ch. 35-67: Witch Queens, Water Vaporization, and Horrible Decisions! Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are diving straight into the second half of Part One in Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 35 through 67), and honey, the trauma is heavy, the soup is boiling, and nobody in Erilea knows how to make good decisions! Aelin is finally reunited with her Shadow Daddy Rowan, but her magic is on ice—or is it? From subterranean glow-worm cave dates and Lorcan swallowing his pride for jasmine Burvas blood, to Manon absolutely annihilating witch matrons to claim her crown, this section is non-stop adrenaline. We are talking major heartmates reunions, chaotic shape-shifting educational moments (looking at you, Dorian), and Elide becoming an absolute legend on a terrifying horse named Farasha. Grab your warm strawberry crisp, settle in, and let us yap about the most epic battles, major betrayals, and whether Aedion wins the award for worst politician ever. Key Topics Discussed: • Aelin and Rowan Reunion & The Glow-worm Cave: Aelin makes her grand return, Cairn gets skinned alive (sadly off-screen for Rick!), and our favorite heartmates exchange shiny stolen wedding rings under a cavern full of sparkling cavern worms. • Maeve is a Valg Queen?!: The Cadre realizes their blood oath was sworn to an ancient demon queen, leaving everyone processing major trauma and a really bad taste in their mouth. • Manon Decapitates Yellow Legs & Claims the Crown: Manon draws a line in the snow with Wind Cleaver, slays the Yellow Legs matron, and slaps the Crown of Stars onto her own head in the ultimate girlboss move of the series. • Dorian's Shape-Shifting Adventures: Dorian tests out what it feels like to walk around with breasts, flirts with Manon in ghost form, and then pulls the ultimate ghosting maneuver after a steamy night to sneak into Morath alone. • Elide, Lorcan, and Farasha the Horse: Elide hijacks Chaol's terrifying horse to rescue a spine-injured Lorcan from a pile of corpses, leading to an emotional confession of love and toe-curling magic healing. • Aelin's Dark Phoenix Moment: Aelin proves she is the ultimate firebringer by vaporizing an entire 30-foot tidal wave into pure steam with her saved-up magic before taking a well-deserved three-day power nap. • Lysandra and Aedion Drama: We dissect the toxic plan to fake Aelin's pregnancy, Lysandra's heroic ghost leopard stand on the front lines, and why everybody in Terrasen currently sucks. • The Great Crochan Beacon Call to Arms: Red-cloaked Crochan witches dusting off ancient swords and mounting brooms across the continent like Paul Revere—easily one of SJM's finest cinematic moments. • Chaol's Baby Announcement: Chaol finds out Yrene is pregnant... directly from his terrible father over a very awkward chicken dinner. Closing/Call-to-Action: Did Lorcan win your heart back, or are you still holding a grudge? Is Dorian walking straight into his demise at Morath? Drop your hot takes in the comments below! Don't forget to like, subscribe on YouTube, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got book recommendations or want to defend Tamlin with Rick? Email us at romantasyroundtable@gmail.com! See you next week for chapters 68 through 99—and remember, do NOT read chapter 100 yet!

Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash – Part 1 (The Beginning of the End, the Iron Coffin, and Aedion Needs to Sit Down Edition) Description: We are officially in the final book. Kim is recording from the Canary Islands sixty miles off the coast of Africa. Rick wore skirts to work for two years to protest a no-shorts policy and single-handedly got the rule changed — it turned out the rule had been quietly removed from the handbook in 2019 and nobody noticed. We have one hundred subscribers. Jamie sent several messages. Bartholomew is a Scottish Straight from a backyard breeding operation with eighty-four cats in it. We love him more now. Amanda's sister Julia sent a two-minute voice memo defending Tower of Dawn from a neurophysical therapist's perspective — Chaol's arc maps accurately onto combat PTSD, Yrene's depletion is how healing actually works, and if he were more likable it wouldn't be realistic. Also Amanda read thirty percent of Kingdom of Ash in a day and a half while sick with a six-day migraine because this book does not let you put it down. Key Topics Discussed: - Aelin Is in an Iron Coffin and It Is Already Devastating: Tortured on a rotating schedule, scars healed so Cairen can start over, reciting a childhood story on loop, communicating with Fenrys via blink code. Four blinks means I am with you. Two blinks means no, he is not all right. Maeve offers Connell a moment to speak freely to his twin and he stabs himself in the heart rather than harm Fenrys. Kim cried more about the wolf yipping in pain than about Aelin's bones breaking. - Fenrys Shatters His Blood Oath Through Sheer Love: He physically fights the magical chain until it breaks, tackles Cairen, screams run at Aelin, and nearly dies. Aelin offers her blood and commands him to live until he does. Rick did not see this coming. Amanda had been predicting it since Connell died and gives herself partial credit. - Aelin Escapes and the Mask Comes Off: She catches a sword strike on her wrist chains to snap them free, steals the sword, and murders her way out with no magic and full iron still on her body. When the mask finally comes off every scar she has ever had is gone. New skin, assembly line torture. Rick says this was worse than the torture scenes. Rowan seals a tent with Cairen inside and nobody hears what happens next. We are all grateful. - Maeve Traps Aelin in a Hallucination of a Peaceful Life: Living Rowan, fairy tale framing, the whole thing — then rips it away. The psychological warfare is more disturbing than the physical torture and Maeve as Palpatine energy is fully locked in. - Aedion Is Being a Little B**** and Everyone Is Tired: He is raging at Lysandra, who is cosplaying as Aelin in a blizzard and dragged a dead frozen soldier home on her horse form. She stands barefoot in the snow and takes it with her dignity intact. He told her he was going to marry her someday. Amanda does not know how he comes back from this. The fire in his tent deserved to die. - Dorian Shapeshifts Via Emotional Vulnerability: He cannot self-loathe himself into shifting. Kaltain's ghost shows up instead of Gavin and tells him to stop wondering if he's a bad person and just be one. He shifts into a raven right as Manon catches him sneaking toward Morath. - Knox Owen Is Back and Amanda Was Not Expecting It: He recognizes Lysandra is not Aelin because he knew Selena and she didn't recognize him back. He pledges loyalty instead of blackmail. Amanda was only looking for Assassin's Blade callbacks and Knox is from Throne of Glass. That's why she loves this series. - Girl Boss Easter Egg of the Batch: The humble cauldron of goat stew, single-handedly responsible for brokering peace between two warring witch bloodlines. Never thanked. Always working. Homework is chapters 35 through 67, stop when you see Part Two at chapter 68. Rick has under five hours left in Kingdom of Ash and plans to supplement the reread with Heartstoppper, which counts as six books. Amanda is forty percent into Crescent City, loves Hunt, keeps forgetting he has wings, and is letting the lore flow in one ear and out the other. Kim is in the Canary Islands. Subscribe, drop your death predictions in the comments, and we will see you in Part 2!

Episode Title: Throne of Glass Fan Casting Bonus – (The Hockey Team, the Heated Rivalry Cameos, and Anya Taylor-Joy Is Manon Edition) Description: We promised a Throne of Glass bonus episode last time and delivered a soccer podcast instead. This time we actually did it. Amanda made a Canva slideshow with animated covers and everything, Kim showed up with notes on her phone, and Rick showed up. Together they cast six main characters plus bonus picks, debated the merits of multiple hockey team members, accidentally cast half of Heated Rivalry, and had a very important conversation about why Emilia Clarke is too sweet-faced to be Manon Blackbeak. Taylor Swift got married at Madison Square Garden while we recorded this. We acknowledge it and move on. Ground rules: any actor from any era is fair game, wigs exist, and the casting can be based entirely on vibes. These rules were followed loosely. Key Topics Discussed: - Aelin Galathynius: Rick goes Jennifer Lawrence from Hunger Games — badass, emotional, knows how to use a bow. Amanda goes Carla Delane on looks and vibe. Kim goes Florence Pugh for range and depth, noting she can play young and old and do the emotional heavy lifting this role demands. Margot Robbie was briefly considered by all three and then moved elsewhere. - Rowan Whitethorn: All three hosts independently arrived at Henry Cavill as the Witcher. Specifically as the Witcher. No other Henry Cavill will be accepted. Kim went rogue with Jacob Elordi as an alternative, who Rick concedes has the size and shape. Jacob Elordi is now also a backup Dorian. - Dorian Havilliard: The hardest cast of the night. Rick lands on Joseph Gordon-Levitt — 500 Days of Summer to Dark Knight Rises, the full emotional range. Amanda goes Connor Story from Heated Rivalry, dark-haired, charming, and she can already imagine the banter with Manon. Kim went young Matt Bomer. Christian Bale was briefly on the table. Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory was mentioned and then gently set aside. - Chaol Westfall: Amanda dies on the Theo James from Divergent hill, aged extraordinarily, plays stoic extremely well. Rick flip-flopped between Tom Hardy circa Inception and Jon Bernthal the Punisher before landing on Tom Hardy as his box of a man. Kim cast Joe Alwyn, noting his track record playing characters defined by loyalty and obligation. Taylor Swift was mentioned. We moved on. - Manon Blackbeak: Amanda and Kim both independently cast Anya Taylor-Joy. Rick cast Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Amanda's counterargument is that Emilia Clarke has sweetness in her face and Manon has never once in her life had a sweet moment. Rick stands firm. Two of us are right, he says. - Yrene Towers: Amanda cast Cassinia Daniela from Heated Rivalry and will accept no other Yrenes. Kim and Rick both independently landed on Zendaya. Emma Watson was briefly floated and then abandoned when someone remembered Yrene's complexion. - Lysandra: Amanda goes Anna de Armas, captain of her hockey team, full stop. Rick landed on Sydney Sweeney after considering Scarlett Johansson, which prompted a brief discussion about whether Sydney Sweeney was created in a lab for the male gaze. The group agrees she can actually act. Kim used Sydney Sweeney for Kaltain instead, whose Dark Phoenix energy belongs to Sophie Turner or Jodie Comer from Killing Eve. - Bonus Picks: Aedion is Chris Hemsworth — already blonde, already Thor, Matt Damon as Gavriel could believably be his dad. Asterin is Florence Pugh because she and Anya Taylor-Joy would be electric together and Florence Pugh would destroy the confession scene. Mahershala Ali was floated for multiple roles and nobody could decide where to put him but everyone agreed he needed to be somewhere. Jamie — let us know who you would cast and where we went wrong. Drop your picks in the comments, subscribe so you don't miss the actual book content episodes, and tell us if Idris Elba is the Kagan or Duke Perrington because we could not agree. Boots. ????

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – FINALE (The Iron Coffin, the Life Bond, and Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius Edition) Description: We made it. The full crew is together in person, there are cocktails called Abraxos in Bloom, birthday cookies, ice cream incoming, and a cat named Bartholomew who wants absolutely nothing to do with any of us. This is the live midsummer finale recording of the Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn tandem read, and it goes places. Amanda has had half a glass of wine. Rick has had considerably more and briefly needed to sit down after standing up. Kim made a Canva slideshow for the fan casting episode that nobody saw yet. None of this matters because the books absolutely destroyed us. Empire of Storms ends on a beach with Aelin publicly whipped, masked, chained, and locked into an iron coffin while Maeve purrs let's begin — and somehow that's after the reveal that Maeve engineered Lyria, orchestrated the mating bond, and has been Valg queen this whole time. Tower of Dawn ends with Yrene exorcising a Valg princess out of a pregnant princess in front of the entire Khagan's court, forging a life bond with Chaol that means when one dies the other follows, and securing an army of a thousand Rukhin riders, Hasar's armada, and three hundred Torre healers because she asked the Khagan for one favor and he said anything. Rick gives Empire of Storms five stars. Amanda and Kim both give the tandem four stars each. Everyone agrees Aedion needs to get it together. Key Topics Discussed: - Maeve Is Valg Queen and Engineered Everything: She orchestrated Lyria. She nudged Rowan toward the wrong woman on purpose. She's been hiding in plain sight for millennia. Rick's read: she's Palpatine. Erawan is out there flailing around being obviously evil while Maeve has been running the whole board. The House of Whitethorn dropping her black flag mid-battle because Rowan spent a midnight cousin tour committing full treason is the most dramatic family betrayal in the series. - Aelin Gets Whipped, Masked, and Coffined: She dropped to her knees to save Elide. She refused to count a single lash. She slipped both word keys into Manon's pocket during the nudge while everyone watched. The entire naval battle was a month-long scheme to drain her fire first. Rick was pissed. Amanda hated it. The epilogue is Maeve opening the coffin. Nobody is okay. - The Secret Wedding Nobody Knew About: Aelin and Rowan got married two days before the beach. Aedion finds out on the beach alongside everyone else and responds to the Lysandra plan by telling her to go to hell. Rick and Kim are both annoyed at Aedion for a sustained period of chapters. Lysandra is literally saving his kingdom with her face and he is being a little bitch about it. - Yrene Heals Chaol, Forges a Life Bond, Then Exorcises a Valg Princess: She spent the whole book fixing his spine and then Duva breaks it again in thirty seconds. She straddles a Valg-possessed pregnant princess with a dagger and then doesn't do it because there's a baby and she is who she is. Hafiza solves the problem by throwing herself down a staircase in a chair. The entire Torre forms a healing chain to bring Chaol back. Rick loved every second of it. - Elena Galathynius Ruined Everything: She used the lock — Mala's essence poured into the Eye of Elena — to trap Erawan, burned its one-time power on the wrong plan, and condemned her bloodline to pay the price. Amanda had received one spoiler: the real villain of Empire of Storms was Elena. She had forgotten until this exact moment. - Nehemia Knew: She agreed to arrange her own murder to break Aelin out of the Selena identity. The witch mirror confirmed it. That part was hard. Everyone agrees. - Lysandra Customized Her Sea Dragon Form: Longer limbs, prehensile thumbs, spider silk scaled hide, battering ram tail. She is not using what the gods gave her when she can fully optimize. Amanda is obsessed with her. Rick has been picturing a manatee this whole time and sees no reason to stop. - The 13 Arrive and Amanda Went Like This on Her Couch: Abraxos plunges from the sky trailing twelve wyverns. Tristan asked if they finally had soup. Amanda said no, the wyverns are here. Tristan said what. Amanda said never mind. Final ratings: Rick gives Empire of Storms five stars and Tower of Dawn four. Amanda and Kim both land on four for each. Everyone agrees this could have been one book and also they're glad it wasn't. Homework is Kingdom of Ash from the start through chapter 34. Stop when you see chapter 35. That's almost 300 pages. Buckle up. Drop your Maeve theories and your Aedion grievances in the comments and subscribe for the Kingdom of Ash era! ????

Episode Title: Romantasy Round Pitch – The Soccer Bonus Episode Nobody Asked For (The Boots, the VAR, and the Lamine Yamal Edition) Description: Welcome to the episode that was supposed to be a Throne of Glass bonus episode and became a 30-minute soccer fever dream instead. Jamie Dawes gets a shoutout for their snake profile picture and their extremely correct assessment that France is going to be a problem. Amanda has been watching on Telemundo. Kim once coached half the current US men's national team when they were tiny babies at IMG Academy. Rick made up a soccer quiz on the bus ride over and did not look at the answers beforehand, which means nobody knew what the penalty spot was called despite it being extremely obvious. Australia is technically in the Asian football federation, not the Oceanic one. The Socceroos are a real team name. The Reggae Boyz are also a real team name. The USMNT is not called the USMNT according to Gemini, which is wrong, and everyone agrees Gemini is wrong. The real content arrives when Amanda presents her definitive romantasy-to-national-team crossover rankings, partially workshopped with Tristan, who had notes. France is ACOTAR because it's star-studded, hyped, and a little snobbier than it needs to be. Argentina is Fourth Wing because everyone's into it and mostly just into the one guy. Brazil is Lord of the Rings — the OG, the classic, possibly a little past its prime. England is Game of Thrones because it's never coming home and they will never finish the series. Scotland is a Ally Hazelwood contemporary — here for a good time, not a long time. Portugal is A Night and the Moth because it's technically excellent but the supporting cast is doing more work than the MMC. Norway is Fae and Alchemy because Erling Haaland has extreme Kyler Swift energy. Spain is Crescent City because you don't get it until you get it. And Morocco is whatever Lauren Roberts picks because that's just how it works. Key Topics Discussed: - The Quiz Nobody Studied For: Rick generated soccer trivia on the bus, did not preview the answers, and the group still passed on the basics. Hat trick, red card, offside — covered. The penalty spot — embarrassingly not covered. Nobody knew you can't be offside on a throw-in. Kim is horrified. Amanda is vindicated. - Ronaldo's Botox Situation: His face does not move. He looks younger than he did at the last World Cup. He is older than Rick. He scored a penalty and celebrated like he invented the sport. Amanda, who has had forehead Botox, says he needs a little less. The podcast agrees. - Lamine Yamal Gets His Name Butchered One Final Time: Rick knows the L and the Y. He knows the sounds. The full pronunciation escapes him live on air. A quarter of a point is awarded. Spain won yesterday. Rick accepts this outcome. - The Romantasy Team Rankings: France is ACOTAR and also Tamlin. England is Game of Thrones and it's never coming home. The US is Dungeon Crawler Carl per Tristan — the world is ending, we're just trying to make it out, and we have a slightly annoying British striker. Italy is the From Blood and Ash series because Rick really wanted to root for it and it keeps disappointing him. Canada is obviously Heated Rivalry. Morocco wins because Lauren Roberts picked them and that's a good enough reason. - MLS Solidarity Speech: Amanda would like everyone who got World Cup fever to also support their local MLS and NWSL teams. American soccer is happening here. Galaxy tickets are fifteen dollars. Rick's algorithm knows. - Matt Freese Is Rowan Whitethorn: Ice powers. It's obvious. No further questions. Jamie — Australia plays soon and we are rooting for Aidan O'Neill because he plays for NYCFC and that makes him family. If the US wins, it's called soccer. That's the chant. Find us at Romantasy Roundtable wherever you listen, subscribe so you don't miss the actual Throne of Glass bonus episode we definitely did not record today, and drop your national team romantasy crossover picks in the comments. Boots.

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 5 (Aedion's Pride Party & Maeve Is Queen of the Valg Edition) Description: The full crew is back, the Google Meet is titled Aedion's Pride Party in honor of Pride Month and Aedion casually confirming he likes both depending on his mood, and we have spent the first ten minutes exclusively discussing ice cream. Amanda's favorite is black raspberry from a tiny shop called Dribbles that refuses to ship to New York. Rick's is brown sugar cookie dough fudge brownie from Van Leeuwen. Kim's is chocolate from Round Top in Damariscotta, Maine. We also squeeze in Rick's birthday dinner at a Colombian restaurant he thought was Spanish, the World Cup (Amanda went to Germany vs Ecuador at MetLife, margarita not cold enough, would not repeat at current ticket prices), and a note from Jamie — MIA because America eliminated Australia, but Aiden O'Neal and Matt Freeze both play for NYCFC so we can still be friends. Once we open the books, we are in the final stretch and things are unraveling fast. Empire of Storms delivers a stolen armada, Maeve's fleet on the horizon, and Manon and Dorian's increasingly charged late-night situation. Tower of Dawn gives us the Kale and Yrene slow burn finally paying off, a poolside birthday incident, and the single most earth-shattering lore drop of the series: Maeve is Queen of the Valg. Key Topics Discussed: - Maeve Is Queen of the Valg: The Stygian spider queen drops this while Nesryn spins a wildly unconvincing merchant cover story. Maeve is Fae, not Valg, but she is their ruler. The series had been very definitive that she wasn't. Amanda texted the group immediately. Kim notes the big bad has officially shifted. - Kale Walks Across the Room: Mid-blowup, Chaol takes a staggering step toward Yrene on pure stubborn rage. She clocks it instantly and backs away slowly, luring him step by step in the world's most emotionally charged game of red light green light. He pins her against the wall. Rick calls it a good slow burn. The podcast agrees. - Yrene Shoves Princess Hasar Into the Pool: Several drinks deep at the oasis birthday feast, Hasar says one thing too many. Rick was reading on his deck and was certain Yrene was about to be executed. She was not. Renia laughed. Hasar walked away. Birthday miracle. - Ansel of Briercliffe Arrives With a Stolen Armada: The mystery fleet turns out to belong to Ansel, who has sacked Melisandre's capital, liberated Aelin's horse Kasida, and is greeting Aelin with pure hello b**** energy. Rick's favorite SJM move: planted as a throwaway moment books ago, paid off enormously here. Lysandra, mid-nap in ghost leopard form, casually flexes her claws between Manon and Ansel before anyone starts a war. - Aedion's Bisexual Confirmation: Lysandra raises an eyebrow. Aedion says he likes both depending on his mood. Happy Pride. Kim would third them. Amanda called this pairing episodes ago. - Sartaq's Spider Pass Confession: Wedged in a narrow gap with a horde of Karan Kui incoming, Sartaq confesses his love and tells Nesryn to run. She is dragged away screaming. The spiders said they'd take them alive. Falcon the mouse is involved in the rescue plan. Rick clocked immediately that Sartaq wasn't dead because SJM kills people on screen. - Everyone Has a Boo: Aelin and Rowan, Kale and Yrene, Elide and Lorcan, Aedion and Lysandra, Nesryn and Sartaq, Dorian and Manon. Gavriel is doing dad things. Fenrys does not have a boo. These are the facts. Homework is to finish the tandem read. Kim picked up A Forbidden Alchemy from her indie bookstore The Lofty Pigeon and is a third in and already recommending it. Rick is reading This Kingdom Won't Kill Me and is hooked. Drop your Maeve theories in the comments and subscribe so you don't miss the tandem read finale! ????

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 4 (The Sea Dragon Was a Manatee & Canada Up Four Nothing Edition) Description: The full Romantasy Roundtable crew is back and Amanda has returned from wherever Jaylen Brunson and the Knicks parade took her — which apparently included a ceremony, a kid in a Manika shirt, and a therapist who confirmed that New York is simply a vibe right now. Rick made it to the parade, got blocked out of the barricade, watched some idiot try to drive through the crowd in a dress shirt and a visor, and has zero regrets. We also squeeze in the World Cup (Canada up four nothing, Qatar down to nine men, one broken leg), a heated top five TV shows debate that lands on It's Always Sunny, Criminal Minds, and Scrubs, and the reveal that Rick has been picturing Lysandra's sea dragon form as a large, friendly manatee. We are choosing to respect it. Once we get into the books, Empire of Storms goes absolutely feral — possessions, sea battles, soup on the beach, a ghost leopard cuddle session, Dorian kissing Manon and shrugging about it, and Elide Lochan decapitating an Ilken with an injured wrist. Tower of Dawn wraps its section with Falkan turning out to be a shapeshifter, a giant spider dungeon, and Nesryn firing nine arrows across three targets simultaneously while Sartaq is low-key smitten about it. Rick is bored of Sartaq. Kim says he's Melba Toast. Amanda is not interested in Nesryn. They are choosing to read about her anyway. Key Topics Discussed: - Lysandra Becomes a Sea Dragon and Rick Pictured a Manatee: Aelin cooked up the whole mycenian prophecy play by having Lysandra study temple carvings back in Illium. Rol grips the ship's wheel like a man having a spiritual crisis. Lysandra wants to know if she can become a plant next, or maybe a bit of wind. Book girlfriend of the year. No notes. - Aelin Gets Possessed by Deanna Mid-Battle: Their combined magic goes nuclear, the word key cracks Aelin's power open an entire secret basement level, and Deanna takes over her body long enough to aim moonfire at the civilian town. Rowan throws himself in front of it. Aelin shatters back in, redirects the blast, and obliterates half the fleet, the boat, and a chunk of the island. Rick's read: this is how you nerf Aelin. - Dorian Kisses Manon and Shrugs: He visits her cabin in the middle of the night, delivers a kiss, says maybe another night witchling, and walks out. Manon is absolutely feral about it. Dorian says I'm the king in a war council argument and Rick nearly stands up out of his chair. - Elide and the Barge Ambush: Vernon shows up with three Ilken and a coffin-sized iron box and informs Elide that Lorcan abandoned her. Two lies. Lorcan was on the rooftops the whole time and saves her with a hatchet to the wrist. Elide decapitates an Ilken, delivers a threat to Erawan cold enough to freeze the river, and reveals the word key she's been carrying — wrapped in Kaltain's cloak scrap from a cold dungeon. Lorcan swears he will always find her. Rick is on board with these two now. Kim confirms the carnival arc was simply that. - Fenrris Gets Replaced by a Bloodhound: Erawan's shapeshifting spy impersonates Fenrris, monologues in Manon's cabin, gets choked by Rowan, rips a porthole off the ship wall, and reveals that Asterin screamed when Erawan broke her before dropping her wristband on the floor. Manon's composure evaporates. Dorian steals the kill. Manon is furious about this specifically. - Aelin is Probably Pregnant and Nobody is Saying It: She asks for Lysandra instead of Rowan when she gets sick. Rowan figures it out from the crow's nest. They have had one conversation about the tonic situation. The chapter ends with Elwy burning. Nothing is resolved. Rick is simply laughing. - Aen Promises to Marry Lysandra on a Beach While She's Bleeding: She washes up barely conscious in sea dragon form. He crouches in the sand and tells her he's going to marry her one day. She gives him an exhausted dragon huff. Amanda called this pairing episodes ago and would like everyone to know that. - Falkan the Shapeshifter is from Assassin's Blade: He followed them into the spider dungeon as a falcon — his actual name — and turns into a pony-sized wolf to save Nesryn and Sartaq from a horse-sized velvet-voiced Karan Kui. Then bleeds in the pine needles while Sartaq debates the ethics of helping him. Nesryn threatens to wound the prince herself if he doesn't produce bandages. Amanda's sister just started the series and has confirmed that the spinal cord injury science checks out — she will love everything Rick finds boring and vice versa. Next up: Tower of Dawn chapter 36 through Empire of Storms chapter 61, stop when you see Tower of Dawn chapter 49. Find the full tandem read order online, subscribe, and drop your Dorian and Manon feelings in the comments. We'll see you in Part 5!

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 3 (The Knicks Won & Rick Learned the Rubik's Cube Edition) Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is running a two-person operation today — Amanda has been granted a day off to celebrate the New York Knicks' first championship in 32 years, leaving Rick and Kim to hold it down alone. Before a single chapter gets read, we get a full debrief on Rick's merch budget (undefined, possibly catastrophic), the saga of Rick spending three full workdays solving a Rubik's cube only to discover a student had twisted the corners and made it mathematically unsolvable, and the news that the pod gained seven new YouTube subscribers this week. Hi, new friends. Please stay. Once we finally open the books, Empire of Storms is delivering — Ailen is back in full Selena persona robbing a pirate lord with her mouth, Lysandra is shapeshifting through a war council, and Rowan has a strict no-trees policy for his first time with Ailen that he'd like everyone to know about. Tower of Dawn remains a slow burn that Rick is tolerating at a medium level — right up until the lore clicks into place and both hosts have to admit it's actually getting good. Key Topics Discussed: Knicks in Five: Amanda is MIA. Rick has no merch budget. Jaylen Brunson had no words. Neither does Rick, but he has seventeen browser tabs open. Kale Wiggles His Toes and Tells No One: Yrene's healing is working. Chaol knows it. Nesryn, whom he kisses with the energy of a man returning a library book, does not. Aelin Robs Rolf With Her Mouth: Full Selena persona, stolen emeralds including one hidden under her tongue, and then she whistles in Lysandra playing decoy Queen of Terrasen. Rolf looks like he wants to throw himself into the harbor. Dorian's Letter-to-Himself Scheme: Stonewalled by Rolf for two weeks, Dorian fakes devastating news via a letter he mailed to himself and gets a meeting in three hours. Rick's verdict: great scheme. This is the most political instinct Dorian has ever shown. The Old King Was Valg-Possessed All Along: His decades of suppressing magic weren't pure evil — it was his still-conscious self trying to stop the Valg from gaining hosts. Kim notes they've now heard the Valg lore approximately fifteen times. Rick is fine with it. Yrene Gets Chased by a Demon Through Antica: A Valg creature hisses her name through doorways and she sprints for Chaol's suite. Chaol, in his chair, immediately commits to throwing his dagger as a last resort. Logistically questionable. Most romantic demon attack in recorded history. Elide Drops the Nuclear Option: When Lorcan pushes too hard, Elide tells him her uncle brought her to Morath to breed her bloodline with the Valg and that the catacombs explosion was not an accident. She closes with: "When you kill my uncle, ask him yourself." Lorcan does not recover. Falkan Ennar Shows Up and Rick Is Delighted: The merchant who traded twenty years of his life to the Stygian spiders — and looks fifty at age twenty-seven — is a character from Assassin's Blade. The spiders are Valg. Everything is connected. Rick and Kim spend thirty seconds hating Tower of Dawn before completely reversing course. Amanda will be back next week, rested and ready to read. Up next: Tower of Dawn chapter 32 through Empire of Storms chapter 51 — find the official tandem read order online and follow along. Drop your Knicks takes and your Falkan theories in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe!

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 2 (The Wiggle Your Big Toe & Inverted AeroPress Edition) Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is back, and this time it's Amanda carrying the entire episode on her back while Kim nurses her second spring cold in a month and Rick spends a meaningful portion of the runtime giving a live AeroPress tutorial on camera. (Three subscribers were lost. Rick does not feel responsible.) Between the coffee demo, a deep dive into the Jewish numerology hidden in the Tory library's architecture, fan-casting debates where Thor appears twice in the same universe, and the breaking news that a real-life friend just got engaged mid-recording, it's a miracle we got through any chapters at all. And yet somehow we did. In the books, Tower of Dawn is giving us slow-burn healing, ancient demon energy, tapeworms, and Chaol (Kale) quietly wiggling his toes in what is objectively the most earned moment in the series so far. Meanwhile, Empire of Storms is out here delivering witch queens, pirate lords, long-lost cadre members, and Manon Blackbeak leaping off a balcony to freedom in a scene that Kim completely forgot and was absolutely devastated to re-experience for the first time all over again. Key Topics Discussed: Yrene vs. the Shadow in Chaol's Spine: Miss Towers (as she's nasty) spends multiple brutal healing sessions going war with an ancient Valg entity camping out in Kale's vertebrae. She doesn't just fight the darkness — she follows the sound of his screaming directly into it, emerges bleeding from her nose and mouth, and then immediately asks him to open up about his feelings. Rick has never related to a fictional character less. The Wiggle Your Big Toe Moment: Kale's toes curl and uncurl on their own for the first time. Rick accidentally spoiled this to himself days earlier by randomly getting the urge to watch Kill Bill mid-read and mentioning it out loud. Amanda clocked it immediately. He maintains it wasn't a spoiler. It was absolutely a spoiler. Manon Blackbeak Becomes the Witch Queen: Asterin shows up to her own execution beaten, blood-soaked, and smiling. The Thirteen stand behind Manon and raise two fingers in the salute of a witch queen, not a wing leader. Manon brings Wind Cleaver down on her grandmother instead, buys just enough time for the Thirteen to escape, and then gets the nuclear bomb dropped on her — her father was a Crochan prince, and the Crochan spy she killed in the Fian Gap was her half-sister. She processes this entirely reasonable information by yeeting herself off a balcony onto Abraxos and blazing out of Morath. Queen behavior. No notes. Head Librarian Nousha's Silent Flex: Before Yrene can even finish explaining what she needs, Nousha has already pulled every relevant ancient text, organized every scroll, and armed a group of fourteen-year-old acolytes who close ranks around Yrene in a crisis without flinching — all while having never once smiled in recorded history. The unsung girl boss of the entire Tory sequence. Fenrys & Gavriel Crash the Party: Two golden-haired Fae males walk through a door in Skull's Bay and Rowan greets them with a dagger in the wall. Fenrys is chaotic and gorgeous. Gavriel is exhausted by literally everyone in a room at all times. Rick is Fenrys. Kim is Gavriel. Amanda is somehow Lorcan. Elide vs. The Bridge Checkpoint: Elide Lochan, armed with a borrowed persona, a traveling carnival, and Asterin Blackbeak's memory like a talisman, social-engineers herself and a five-hundred-year-old Fae warrior through a Darlinian checkpoint without breaking a sweat. Lorcan is scandalized. Elide does not care. She is simply built different. Princess Hasar's Tapeworm Alliance: Yrene and Princess Hasar's entire political friendship began because Yrene once magically extracted a spectacular tapeworm from the princess. Hasar liked her bar fight stories enough to keep her around. She then pulled out a military map and casually threatened Yrene's ability to cross the Narrow Sea. Friendship! The Jewish Easter Eggs in the Maasverse: Amanda drops the fact that 36 appears throughout the Tory library because multiples of 18 carry deep significance in Jewish tradition — double life, double holy. The Maasverse is, as Amanda puts it, hella Jewish. Rick's mind is blown. This is canon now. Join us for toes wiggling, grandmothers getting what they deserve, and Amanda reading fifteen chapters while Rick makes coffee! Next up is Tower of Dawn chapters 19 through Empire of Storms chapter 31 — stop when you hit chapter 32 and you should be sitting right at 50% through the book. Drop your Asterin fan casts in the comments (Amanda suggests Dove Cameron and we are not taking questions). Subscribe, like, and we'll see you in Part 3!