Transcript
Speaker: you
Speaker: Welcome to the Britannia Library. we are your librarians, Brittany and Chandler. Every week we will be recapping and discussing our current read, anything from the latest trends to longtime favorites. Depending on our selection, we'll cover it over multiple episodes, so be sure to stick around to hear the full story. We have started our next read, Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig.
Speaker: This is the final book in the Shepard King duology.
Speaker: We return with the final part of Two Twisted Crowns and spoiler alert, we will be discussing what happens in the book. If you wish to read along, we will be covering chapters 39 to the end. You're welcome to read and come back to listen to our thoughts or follow along now.
Speaker: All right. Part three to bend. So we start with chapter 39 from Elspeth's perspective. So Elspeth kind of compares the spirit shore because we're now the like spirit of the woods beach basically with taxes. this And the only difference is the color.
Speaker: Hers is pale, a lifeless gray. His was like dark, dark, black, everything. And so Raven sits on the beach holding Jasper and awake or mentally to speak with her. Yeah. And they all wait for the spirit of the wood to arrive, with Raven whirring at Jesper's slowing pulse. The nightmare kind of reassures him that she'll survive and reminds him to call to despair after everything. Yeah.
Speaker: And suddenly, another voice speaks from the water, recognizing the former king coming to barter again. a creature emerges, the spirit of the wood. o She greets everyone there and then seems to make eye contact with Elspeth, even inside of her room, like inside the Nightmare's mind. Oh, I love this part where she looks afraid at her and she's like, hey.
Speaker: And she welcomes her too. Like, creepy! It's so creepy. And then we go to a new chapter. And this is Elm's perspective. So, as we remember in the last part, he walks through and Hoth is in his room. Yep.
Speaker: So as Elm kind of realizes what's happening, Hoth uses his scythe card to hold Elm in place. And Elm questions what happened, but he knows there was really only one thing that could have saved him and the way that he currently looks. Yeah. He used the maiden card. No.
Speaker: Yeah. So Hoth realizes that the maiden must have had healing powers when he saw Ioni wasn't dead because... when he was on his debt bed, kind of saw her and freaked out. Yeah, because last memory he had before seeing her in his room was that he'd pushed her out of the window. So she thought he thought she was dead the whole time. And then he saw her alive, and he was like, OK, two and two equals four. yeah yep um So Hoth actually explained that he tried to tell his father, the king, when he used the nightmare card, but he was always too drunk to get through to him. It's so funny, because you have to have a concentration for the nightmare card, and he never was.
Speaker: Yeah. But when Linden used it, he was able to hear the word maiden. oo oh he kind of put two and two together. So Linden walks in and Hoth tells him to grab Elm's knife card from him. No. Linden goes on say that Hoth would say maiden and then said Ioni.
Speaker: Linden then tells them that Hoth told him where Ioni's maiden card was hidden. But when he looked under the hearth, it wasn't there. Ooh. So when he went to go look in Ioni's room, it was locked.
Speaker: But Elms wasn't. Of course, Elms horrible with his locking his room. So he goes to Elms room, grabs his keys, and then is able to get into Ioni's room and find the maiden card. He then taps it himself and heals himself.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, because he had the scars. Yeah. Elms was attacked on market day. Good job. So Hoth then asks Elm, with the influence from the Scythe, where Raven and Jesper are. And he tells them that they're looking for the Twin Alders card, but he doesn't really know exactly where they are. And Elm tells Hoth his days are numbered since he woke up the nightmare in Elspeth.
Speaker: Like, yeah, dude. And Hoth does have like a flash of fear across his eyes, but it's like all tainted because of the maiden. Yeah. Yeah. So while Elm expects a blow, Hoth tells Lyndon to give the maiden card to Ione. What? He tells her to use it, and she does. Elm asks what he's doing, and he tells him that he's conducting an experiment. Ew. Then he walks up to Ione with his dagger and stabs her in the heart. This destroyed me.
Speaker: Elm watches Ione start to die right in front of him while he can't do anything. And she pulls the knife out and closes her eyes and stops moving. Oh, my heart.
Speaker: I was crying. i was losing it. gasped. I gasped. For real. So after several minutes, Elm is losing hope. But suddenly, Ione comes back and says his name.
Speaker: And Hoth and Lyndon are, you know, amazed at what the Maiden Guard can do, but Elm tells Hoth that he will kill him for this. I mean, fair. I i want to. I want to kill him.
Speaker: So then suddenly, Philik Willow enters, and I love this part because he's like, I should have knocked louder. And with the knocking... But Elm begs him to help Ione. But Hoth kind of dismisses him. He's like, we don't need you.
Speaker: Oh, no. I hate him. The king then rushes to talk a lot and is extremely relieved, but wonders how. Ione tells Elm she thought she slipped through the veil and was riding her horse through the mud with him.
Speaker: And Elm responds, someday. But first, want 100 years with you. Oh. oh When the king asks Hoth how, Hoth suggests they go to the feast that his father's been throwing the past week and throw this one in his honor.
Speaker: Of course, because everything's got to be about him. Yeah. Baby boy. Yeah. So we move on to Raven's perspective. Back to Raven. So Raven recalls the last part of the riddle regarding the search for the twin alders.
Speaker: He notices that the spirit looks like the creature on the nightmare card. Something between man and beast. She uses the claws to kind of dig around in her own stomach. Yeah, she like impales herself with her claws and is like digging around. It's gross. Nasty.
Speaker: So, but she pulls out the twin alders card. oh I know it's really descriptive. So she hands it to Raven wanting him to use it, but the nightmare can only guess at what happens when he uses it.
Speaker: And he does warn Raven that if he uses it too long, he can lose all sense of time. Yeah. Cause remember the, Shepard King never used the Twin Alders card. He bought him for it, but he never got to use it. And even Raven even asked him, like, what happens if I use it too long? And he's like, don't know. No, he says if he lose he knows if he uses it too long that he'll lose all sense of time. But he's like, what happens? he's I don't know. I'm meeting of the minds, I guess. Yeah. i
Speaker: So Raven then tries to take the card, but the spirit won't let him. And he promises not to steal it and then taps it twice. And then the nightmare kind of warns him to be careful with his words around her before tapping it a final time.
Speaker: Yeah. So he feels wind on his face before the spirit speaks to him, explaining that she's watched him in the mist. She compares his journey to that of a lamb to slaughter. And when he denies it, she points out that he's still set on sacrificing himself on the solstice. Yep.
Speaker: This shocks the nightmare and Elspeth. So he explains that he'd never let the king use her blood. This shocks the nightmare as well as Raven's offering himself up in his place. Yeah.
Speaker: Because he's like, you're not just doing this save Elspeth, you're saving me. Yeah. So Raven turns to the spirit and explains that he's well aware of the cost as he's already paid plenty, but he will be leaving with a card. Yep. and all goes silent, even the water.
Speaker: And then the spirit lunges for Raven. She grabs his arm and then drags him into the cold water. Raven opens his eyes and finds ah himself in a field of snow with the spirit.
Speaker: He sees the sky completely free of the mist and the spirit explains that they're actually 800 years in the past and that she walks through centuries like they were in my own garden.
Speaker: Such a cute quote. I like that. Cute, but scary. Yeah. So Raven just thinks, you know, she's an asshole. yeah And she seems to like sense his thoughts. And she shows him all the Providence cards explaining that they're connected to the mist and blood.
Speaker: When Raven accuses her of being a spider, she just claims that the Shepard King was creative by making such a varying deck, but that he knew no love save for that of the cards. She wants to know if Raven is the same.
Speaker: He admits he's a thief, but that he knows of love as he thinks of all of his loved ones' faces. I love this part. She offers to save Raven's loved ones, including freeing Elspeth and facing or and saving Elm if he leaves the Twin Alders card with her.
Speaker: Yeah, not gonna happen. Yeah. But you know, that last part kind of draws me up short. He's like, wait, what, what fate does Elm need saving from? yeah And because like, he wants to know what he's agreeing to, right, but the spirit won't answer. no So this kind of forces him to continue with his plan to take the card and sacrifice himself.
Speaker: She seems kind of displeased, but then mentions his conversation with Elspeth before they retrieved the Iron Gate card. How he mentioned that the spirit is balanced. She wants everyone to believe that.
Speaker: So she offers him the throne. o When he makes no response, she explains that he'd make a great king and no longer have to submit to his uncle. If he leaves with her, she'll replace Blunder's king, Quirkus Rowan. I'm sorry. i had to include this. Quirkus. Quirkus. That's such a weird name. It is. For such a horrible person. It is. I just think it's so good. Sorry.
Speaker: continue It's so funny. But she'll replace him with Raven. So he doesn't think she has the power to do that. And that pisses her off.
Speaker: She's like, you have no freaking idea. like after everything you've seen, all my, everything you've seen that I'm capable of, really? You think I don't have that power? She's like, and then she explains how powerful she is. But Raven just points out, yet you barter with a liar and thief just to remain so. o burn Oh my god. I'm like, man, you're being really sassy with the spirit here. A little bit.
Speaker: When he points out that magic is the oldest paradox that, you know, more power, having more power makes you weaker. Yeah. She tries again to get him to reconsider. But he just doesn't want the throne. No.
Speaker: He's running out of time and urges her to name the price, her price for the card so that he can return home. She recites Emery's words about him having three heads and then asks if Raven knows his name.
Speaker: If he answers correctly, he'll get the twin alders card. o He struggles to think and asks for two clues to balance out the two offers he resisted. She repeated the words she told the shepherd king about uniting the deck, but explains that the king's namesake tree is not a Rowan.
Speaker: However, she must show him the second clue. He notices they're in the field again, but he can see the room with one window, along with the ruins, but as they were before the fire. She explains that they won't be seen or heard as they go inside.
Speaker: It's 500 years ago, and the castle seems to be decorated for solstice. He sees a man on the throne with yellow eyes and the spirit confirms that it's the shepherd king. And he recognizes the crown that had been dug up from the chamber. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: As he seems to recognize the king, the vision shifts and everyone is trying to escape. But the king is being held back by Brutus Rowan, who leans to whisper in the king's ear before pulling out a dagger and stabbing him.
Speaker: Yeah. I i said, um when I was putting out this outline, it says escape. Yeah, it's fire. The fire's down. There's like smoke everywhere. There's fire everywhere. Yeah. That is a good thing to mention too.
Speaker: Yeah. Brutus then commands some destriers to find the king's daughter so she can't heal him before bringing him the other children. Lord have mercy. But the shepherd king slams his head into Brutus's jaw, startling him.
Speaker: The vision changes again and they're outside, able to see the flames consume the castle. Raven doesn't want to continue as he knows what comes next as he sees the king carrying a dead Tilly and followed by four of his other children.
Speaker: The spirit confirms that they'll all die, but urges him to go in and see. Raven climbs through the window and sees Brutus waiting inside as well. He knocks the king's sword out of his hand, preventing the trees from helping him.
Speaker: The king just apologizes for the loss of Iris as he had no idea the spirit would take her. But Brutus doesn't believe him though and blames magic for changing his friend, declaring him unfit to rule.
Speaker: And Brutus reminds the shepherd king of his words about commanding the scythe being about commanding pain and thinks a kingdom would be easier. And then 11 men file into the room, all holding black horse cards.
Speaker: And Brutus demands to know where the twin alders card is so that he can lift the mists, but their shepherd crane refuses to answer. Brutus knocks the king down and stabs him in the chest.
Speaker: ah As the king falls to the ground beneath the stone, he promises to find his children on the other side of the veil. oh His last words, For even dead, I will not die. i am the shepherd of shadow, the phantom of fright, the demon in the daydream, the nightmare in the night.
Speaker: ha and One of my favorite quotes. I don't mention it at the bottom, but that is one of my favorite quotes. So good. I had to include it. It gave me chills when I read it. Brutus collects himself and then commands the men to kill the king's children.
Speaker: Raven wants to attack him, but the spirit urges him to keep watching. There's actually a boy in the meadow with gray eyes who calls Brutus a traitor. And Brutus tries to command Bennett to come to him, but it doesn't work. And they fight with Brutus quickly disarming Bennett.
Speaker: Because he's like 13. Yeah, he's young. Going up against the kings, you know, into the guard. but So before Brutus can land a final blow, Bennett grabs Brutus' scythe card and rips it in half.
Speaker: Ugh! What? So this shocks Brutus. And me. Yeah. Freaking out. I think all of us. And he goes to kill Bennett, but Bennett uses the mirror card to disappear. I'm still lost.
Speaker: Like, we knew that he was the antithesis of... Yeah. The Shepard King. Because the Shepard King literally said, like, you have the power to destroy my life's work. His life's work was making those cards. so i was like, how can you destroy them? They're not supposed to be able to be destroyed, but he can rip them in half. It's so good. i love it So the vision shifts again to show Bennett begging on the streets and growing up to be a highwayman.
Speaker: Then he's older and marrying a woman under some trees. Lastly, they're back in the meadow and they see Bennett climbing into the chamber. He bleeds over the stone and puts in the mirror and nightmare cards, warning his father to be wary, clever, and good. Aww.
Speaker: Ah! Hmm?
Speaker: she points out that the romans only ever used three cards despite four being made when he points out the shepherd king said cards couldn't be destroyed she just called him a liar like raven ah Hmm.
Speaker: so she tells him his time is up and was his name yet he looks over the meadow tracy grew up playing in like telly he realizes and so focused on the future he ever looked he remembers the crown and the crook on the king's sword that commanded twisted trees He remembers the shifting space in Bennett's great eyes along with his powers. Raven turns to the spirit knowing in his soul that he's right and answers, Texas.
Speaker: My name is Texas. I was right. I was right. was right. was right. Yeah, we were right. We were right. I mean, as soon as we saw a boy with gray eyes, I was like,
Speaker: I mean, gray eyes is a very, like, I mean, well, it's just the fact that they comment on the colors of the eyes. The fact that there was just a random boy with gray eyes yeah on the outsides of the meadow. I mean, like back in the first, yeah like it's just wild.
Speaker: So onto the next chapter, we're back at Elm's point of view. Hoth has taken his place next to his father on, you know, the dais in the Grand Hall, yeah whatever.
Speaker: Elm notices that Hoth is still using the maiden card. Elm is tucked away into a corner and Ioni is next to Hoth. It's kind of like a sad scene. Very. He's like tucked in the corner all beaten up and bruised and like Ioni still like got blood on her. like Yeah, she didn didn't clean up. Yeah. it's It's scary. Yeah. So Elm sees the king and Hoth talking and he assumes it's about the maiden card and it's magic.
Speaker: But Elm doesn't look long because his eyes belong to Ioni. Aww.
Speaker: hoth stands and baldwin announces him as everyone stands as well hoth goes on to give a speech about being proud to protect blunder uphold all his father's laws and even agreeing to marry so that his father can reunite the deck but i hate this yeah he goes on to say how he was injured and how he doesn't want to take things for granted the bonds of family for one.
Speaker: a He tells the king that he was happy that he accepted Elm while he was gone. Like, you accepted him with open arms, you know, you were going to make him air, know, like. He's like acting like he's not upset by it at all. And he is.
Speaker: But then Hoth tells Elm to join them and refill their glasses. Linden comes up behind Elm with the bottle in the cup and like kind of shoves it into his hands. Elm, under the influence of the scythe, is forced to come forward and fill the king's cup.
Speaker: Hoth toasts to family and everyone echoes, Elm doesn't drink, but the king downs his whole glass. Hoth smiles creepily and goes on to ask about Raven and his party returning, along with the woman who attacked him and that she should be locked up or dead.
Speaker: The king says she has knowledge about the between the between but between king says she has knowledge about the twin alders, but Hoth insults the king. Hoth then tells the king that he has tried to lift the mist and heal the infection, but that's what's kept them them powerful, having something to fear. And now he has given Raven a way to undo all of that, and he won't just be coming back with the twin alders, but the shepherd king. the king coughs and then elm tells hoth that he's going to be the one to face the shepherd king the king suddenly collapses and is grasping at his throat elm realizes that the wine was poisoned okay purple wedding game of thrones honestly hoth
Speaker: Hoth tells everyone to ignore the king as he continues to die and no one moves. Elm tells him not to do this and Hoth quips back that it wasn't him who poisoned the king.
Speaker: Even as the king dies, he lunges towards Hoth, knocking him to the ground, struggling to get the scythe card from him, which he does. And as the king kind of struggles with Hoth, he reaches into his pocket and gives his scythe card to Elm and tells him to take it and then goes still.
Speaker: the king of blunder was dead. Oh my god. Yeah. So Hoth calls for Elm's arrest. All the death stures kind of like go into charge and Elm uses the scythe to keep everyone still and frozen.
Speaker: He then takes Ioni and they make it out to the stable. Oh my goodness. But he's keeping everything frozen. Yeah like he did in the inquest room. Mm-hmm. They ride as far as they can before the pain of keeping anyone from pursuing them becomes too much and he falls from the horse.
Speaker: He tells Ioni she has to keep going into the woods and find Raven and the others because he cannot let Hoth use her to bargain with Raven. Aww. He then tells her, I wish we could have had those hundred years off-born.
Speaker: I wish you could have been queen. ah But she doesn't care about that. He just wants him to come with her. Like, just go.
Speaker: They kiss and then he uses his scythe on her to send her away. ah and then he's staring up at the moon when the destriers find him no it makes my heart so sad that he had to use the scythe on her yeah because he knew she wouldn't leave and he didn't want to command her and she had made him promise not to do it but he was like i have to for her safety like she can't stay ah ah so the next chapter is elspeth's point of view with raven gone the nightmare goes to hold jesper and says that she reminds him of both iris and tilly elspeth asks about iris's fate and he shares that she didn't survive the elderwood and he was unable to carry her body back when brutus found out he broke texas's nose and then killed him three months later
Speaker: Now that all of his secrets have been shared, Elswith wants to know what Taxus truly wants. His reply. To keep on rewriting things. When I go, I aim to leave you a better blunder than the one I forged as king.
Speaker: He also mentioned the plan to prevent Raven from using his blood to unite the deck. Hmm. He won't tell her and she can't find solid answers in his thoughts, just Raven, Elm, and Brutus Rowan.
Speaker: He complains about having to explain things to her after all this time, but asks for her trust. Yeah, he's like, I really have to explain things to after all this time, like you don't know me well enough. Yeah. And when she asks if he has a choice, if she has a choice, he replies with his last words to her before taking over her body.
Speaker: My darling, you've always had a choice. And suddenly they're surrounded by silence. Ah. Raven emerges from the water and then swims ashore, seeming to be energizedized energized now, and he reveals the twin alders guard and the nightmare wishes to know the bargain.
Speaker: When he shares it was his name, Raven says, you should know it already. It's yours after all. What? Mic drop. Da-da-da. Elspeth is shocked as Raven continues to explain that the Nightmare and Mirror cards he found in the chamber had belonged to Bennett. Ooh. The Nightmare admits it took him a while to figure it out, but that he'd recognize the nose. Uh!
Speaker: And the inability to use the cards of the degeneration. Because that was Ben. said, you know, magic lines through families, it's all a cycle. Elspeth suddenly realizes why Bennett always looked a little familiar.
Speaker: He looks just like Emery and Raven. oh But she questions the nightmare about trees named Taxus. He explains that they're an old name for yew trees and tells Raven that Elspeth only just now found out.
Speaker: They wouldn't have believed him had he said anything earlier. So Raven explains that he saw the king's death, but refuses to be his revenge and be another king who stole the throne.
Speaker: But he will unite the deck. Taxus just laughs and explains that his plan isn't just about revenge. It's about balance. He plans to steal the throne back for Elm.
Speaker: The scythe has been used for unspeakable things, and his words from the Old Book of Altars have been twisted. If his family takes the throne by force, that's just continuing this legacy of pain.
Speaker: So, Taxus and Raven will be Blunder's reckoning. As much as he's thought of his revenge, Taxus thinks it's rather poetic. All the riddles... I'm going say, you know, with all the riddles, he yeah says he loves his poetry. Yes. yeah This book is very well written.
Speaker: And so it's a rather like poetic to have one of their own take the Rowan legacy of pain and end it. You know, a prince who never used the scythe for violence. Yeah.
Speaker: They hear thunder and the spirit appears, warning them that they're running out of time to unite the deck. Raven's been using it too long and he quickly taps it to stop its use. Suddenly the world seems to shift seems to shift and the nightmare goes to catch Jesper before they all hit the ground beneath the twin alder trees.
Speaker: Same trees as before, but now there's snow on the ground. Oh. Yeah. And so we're still in Raven. Like that was Elsbeth, right? Yeah. So now we're in Raven's perspective.
Speaker: So Raven wakes up under the alder trees and looks for Jesper, who's actually being cradled by the nightmare. And like you said, they notice there's snow on the ground and the nightmare uses his sword to tap and ask the alder trees what day it is. And they confirm it's the day of the long night.
Speaker: solstice no so the nightmare asks raven how long he used the twin elders card for but he doesn't know and raven realizes and solstice and asks how long they were there and the trees tell them 24 days oh my gosh and that they should hurry back if they plan to unite the deck How they not hungry?
Speaker: That's my thing. Do they get all the nutrients their bodies need while they were in the woods? The sand. no It's the sand. But, okay, makes sense. The nightmare doesn't take any time. He grabs Jesper and then takes off for the hill with Raven following. They push through the forest. Raven renewed with energy just to get back to get this done.
Speaker: He sees a small gap of light in the trees. Dawn is approaching. yeah The trees start to speak in riddles and the nightmare tells them, for mercy's sake, shut the fuck up it's my favorite he says it so aggressively in the audiobook like he almost screams it and it's the best i had to mention it because he always hears them you can talk to them and they're constantly talking whispering and telling him like urging one and he's like please stop yeah
Speaker: So they come out of the alder trees and Raven remembers Peter, but the nightmare tells him he wouldn't have waited this long. yeah Raven realizes even if they get there in time, they won't have all the cards.
Speaker: And the nightmare suddenly stops at that and almost drops Jesper, which causes her to kind of wake up. yeah She reaches up and touches Raven's face, the place where she touched him, kind of hurting him, and then asks what happened. But Raven tells her they just need to get home and he'll explain later.
Speaker: She tells Raven to tell the shepherd king that he needs a bath too. I had to mention that. She's like, you stink. Yeah, it's so funny. She goes unconscious again, but the nightmare's eyes widen when he sees Raven's face after Jesper touched it.
Speaker: o The nightmare asks about Raven not having all the carbs, all while Raven notices his face is completely healed. Okay. And Raven explains that the sight is with Elm. Raven offers to carry Jester, but the nightmare refuses and doesn't put her down the entire time. oh So Raven is exhausted, but the nightmare tells him they have to keep going. Even saying, Elizabeth says if you do not get up, she'll never kiss you again. hu i love that. He doesn't believe that, but he does push himself forward.
Speaker: And then forward, always forward. I love that quote. Like, of my favorite quotes. He's not giving up. Yeah. So when they reach the lake, he isn't sure he'll make it across. And he asks the nightmare if they'll be safe making it across. And he assures them that, like, we already did the barter. Yeah, the barter's already been paid. We'll get through.
Speaker: So we're good. So, but before they cross the lake, he sees Elm's horse. And then Peter dismounts his horse and runs up to them relieved. And when Raven sees the second rider, he sees Ione next to Elm's horse. yeah done He looks at the nightmare and asks about Elspeth. And he says, she's with me. And she is very loud in her enthusiasm to see you, yellow girl. One of my favorite quotes.
Speaker: Because you know what's going on. and She's like, yes, yes, yes, yeah my cousin. So Peter asks what happened and then sees Jesper and goes to grab her from the nightmare as he refuses.
Speaker: Peter says no and is able to maneuver her into his arms. Yeah, the nightmare is like, no, I got her. And he's like, nail. And he just grabs her. She tells him, you smell worse than he did.
Speaker: I love that she's always picked on Peter. i I wish they ended up. i wish I think they do. The way that they interact, he's like, you want use my lucky coin? Like,
Speaker: It was always too sweet. So I always just took it all the time. No, i think I think that if there were to be another book in this realm, in this... Or even just more expansion, we'd get more I think that they would be together.
Speaker: Peter also then tells them that they've been gone a while and that a lot has happened. Yeah. So Iona explains what happened to Elm and that he's being held at Stone, her hoth, to trade for the twin elders. No. Yeah.
Speaker: So she went to Castle Yu that night. and banged on the door for help, but took off into the woods before Fenir had even gotten ready to go with her. Yeah. like She was like, I didn't want to wait. I just bolted.
Speaker: So she says that she got lost immediately, but there was a path through the trees that helped her find the way. And she was like, I know that sounds weird, but they're like, no, that's. They're like, yep, no, that's that tracks. And so she rode to the lake, crossed with her horse, and then got lost again. yeah She explains that the crows found her. And then a little while later, women wearing bone masks helped her out and she was reunited with her mother and brothers.
Speaker: Peter went to bury his brother and found Ione and they found him. Yeah. It was like she found mother and brother two days later. they found Peter and then they found of them. And then they found them.
Speaker: The nightmare is grateful Ione is there now having a scythe card and a complete deck. Raven says they still have to get back to the chamber before midnight. Yeah. The Nightmare knows that Raven plans to use his blood, but he explains that he and the princeling have a plan.
Speaker: So they swim across the lake, Raven going last, and Raven's legs kind of cramp up, and he starts to, like, slip under the water. at this point, he's like, I'm not giving up at all.
Speaker: He's like, i came too far just to drown in a lake. Yeah. So he manages to push himself forward and drag himself to shore. So they make their way through the forest and then approach Castle Yu, but the nightmare comes up behind Raven, grabbing his mouth and, like, shushing him. Mm-hmm. And Raven realizes there are voices in the meadow and recognizes Hoth's voice.
Speaker: And then the Nightmare asks, will you listen to my plan now? Like, who what was after there I mean, come on, bruh. Yeah. Elm is locked in the darkness of the dungeon. Oh, we switched to Elm.
Speaker: Oh, yes. You're good. Yeah. Chapter 45 is Elm's perspective. Elm is locked in the darkness of the dungeons with Tyrion and Erik, absolutely breathing.
Speaker: He had used his scythe card too long and the pain of it broke him. He didn't think clearly and regrets not leaving with Ioni. He stayed, hoping Hoth would be fair. Filiq appears and gilds gives Elm a blanket and tonic.
Speaker: sharing that Raven will return for Elm, but Elm just passes out. Poor baby. They hear footsteps approaching on like the ninth or tenth day of his imprisonment. Destriers have come to beat him before giving him wine.
Speaker: Linden appears as a chalice card and wants to know where Raven went, but Elm doesn't know. Yeah. The beating continues and Linden returns asking about Ione, but again, Elm doesn't know.
Speaker: Hoth then arrives and uses his scythe asking why he stayed. Elm just answers that he was enough for Hoth to barter with and that he wanted to kill Hoth but this doesn't seem to faze him. Yeah.
Speaker: And Hoth just replies that he's hunting Ioni for the scythe card she has and that she won't be saved by the maiden again. Yeah. But Elm admits he's been betraying Hoth and that he was one of the highwaymen that attacked the prince. I love this part. and He's like, dude.
Speaker: I've been betraying you for a long oh long time. And he says, I'd do it all again just to watch you flinch. who Again, Hans is unbothered because of the maiden and just states that nothing can kill him anymore.
Speaker: Then he leaves the cell and Elm passes out. I'm sorry, but baby boy, Alma. Yeah. like I mean, he's weak. He said, he said that nothing's been consistent. He can't really mark the passage of time. Yeah. Even the guard that brings him like old, like food. It's not, it's it's just must eat bread. It's like not good. And it's inconsistent. Yeah.
Speaker: So when Elm wakes next, Erik is asking about the night Wayland Pine was attacked. He admits that Erik almost killed him, but that Elspeth saved him. She wanted to help collect the cards to unite the deck, and el wasn't kind to her in return.
Speaker: Tiran pipes up, asking about Ioni escaping, but Elm just tells him to pray that she forgives Tiran for shackling her to Hoth with the nightmare card. For real, I love this. He's like, don't talk to me.
Speaker: Elm wakes again after dreaming of yellow and Eric warns him against sleeping and suggests moving around. He then shares that Elspeth's mother was also infected. o So apparently she tried to hide it from him due to his position. i mean, Captain of the Destriers. Yeah.
Speaker: But her degeneration had her fall ill and she passed away. Once Elspeth was infected, he began to hate the Destriers in his role. But with Raven in charge, as cold and determined as Eryk had been, plunder would never change. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: So what changed his mind, though, was seeing Raven holding his daughter with such tenderness. On market day. And he realized there was more to this man than being captain of the Death Shares.
Speaker: And he admits all of this to Elm as he never said it out loud. And he said he wanted to know what it tasted like saying all these truths. Yeah. um And he goes, bitter, apparently.
Speaker: And Elm just quips that he'll take Eric's confessions to the grave. stone yeah i'm like stop don't give up you're no like eric and tyran argue and then tyran admits that he killed a highwayman for the nightmare card he saw peeking through man's sleeve oh my god he always thought of the man while plotting his family's rise to power but found no joy once he succeeded with his plans only fear of losing it all he shares that he betrayed elspeth out of fear that he'd have a better that he'd have been a murderer for no reason
Speaker: He admits that he's weak and everyone knows it. Yeah. Elm just welcomes him to the club of those who are bloodstained. Honestly. All three of the men are suddenly woken and restrained and then led out of the dungeons by destriers who beat them along the way. And when they emerge outside, many destriers are mounted along with like a regal looking hoth. He's like in his crown and looking all kinds of done up. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: El is tied over the horse like a dead deer and can only see the ground as they make their way to Market Street. And he's like, every time the horse steps, it's like reopening old wounds, re-herting him, yeah.
Speaker: And he's able to see ribbons and learns that it's solstice. When he wakes again, he's taken off the horse and outside of Castle Yu. They're led through the deserted castle to the field for a destrior's weight with a barter wood battered youth.
Speaker: No. they're all beaten up. And I'm like, oh my god. Hoth explains what they use under influence of the scythe and chalice cards shared that Raven and Jesper left through the woods here and even mentions the chamber. No.
Speaker: He then shows the six cards that had been collected and stored there. No. Admitting that he's never going to unite the deck. The mist keeps those of Blunder afraid and easier to control. Hmm.
Speaker: We then learn that Hoth's men have been watching the woods, waiting for Raven's return, but he hasn't come back yet, explaining why he hadn't returned for Elm for so long. And Elm realizes that they're all bait to use to trade for the Twin Alders card.
Speaker: But Hoth claims that he's going to kill them, like, either or or like it doesn't matter but just that raven won't know until it's too late yeah as night falls elm notes about 15 destriers some older and some newer recruits emory suddenly speaks and then lunges grabbing hoth and claiming that he won't win he also says debt follows all men no matter their plea when the shepherd returns a new day shall ring death to the rowans long live the king
Speaker: And when he says the last part, he's looking past Hoth at Elm. Ooh! What does it mean? What does it mean? So Hoth seems pretty shaken by this and hits Emery, obviously upsetting his parents and Elm.
Speaker: But Destrier's note movement at the tree line. An Ione Hawthorne emerges from the woods, wall holding three cards, a maiden, scythe,
Speaker: and the twin alders just like her vision and yeah so after seeing elm state she turns her burning gaze on hoth who just asks if raven gave it to her elm begs her to leave but she doesn't hop you know then taunts her about using the scythe on all his men and urges her to fight so he can kill her slowly gag i hate you i want to kill him Tyrion also begs Ioni to leave, but she just tells Hoth to kill her if he can after she taps the maiden card. o
Speaker: I'm obsessed with her or Spicy Ioni is back. yeah Suddenly, a dagger flies out of nowhere, injuring Hoth's hand and causing him to drop the scythe card. o Elm suddenly takes salt before Raven's voice comes through to Elm.
Speaker: Raven appears before Ione and Ma seems to freak out. Meanwhile, Elm and Raven are just casually joking about Elm's looks. Freaking men. Like, nothing major going on here, just, yeah, let's joke. Let's joke. Oh, my God.
Speaker: Raven then offers the dust years a chance to leave the field as he's no longer their captain. Hoth removes the dagger and tries to taunt Raven, but he shares that the Nightmare and Jesper are close by.
Speaker: Death Sturrs in the field all call out against Raven and draw their swords. Elm tells Raven not to yield to Hoth's threats, and Raven instructs him to follow Ioni and then go to the stone chamber to end everything.
Speaker: Raven lunges for Hoth, disappears, and Ioni runs into the woods. Hoth commands that everyone be killed, but before anything happens, the earth moves. Elm realizes the trees are moving and it's attacking pedestrians. It's great.
Speaker: It's giving the end, attacking back. Love it. I literally, the way that I thought of it was like, not going to lie, Harry Potter, the tree. oh the whopping willow yes oh like they're grabbing and like like the way that i'm definitely thinking the ants like alive and walking which i know that's that's true but yeah my brain's literally picturing when they attack no yeah for sure
Speaker: um so some burst through the ruins and others grab despures with their branches the earth moves again elm falls into eric and cairn all elm can is chaos. Industrial is running into the woods after Ione. Uh-oh. Not his love!
Speaker: Yeah. And then we switch back to Raven's perspective. So Raven's group charges and they're kind of used to the trees and the ground moving. So they kind of know how to attack.
Speaker: Jesper attempts to attack and like, she can't use her long sword. So she's got like two short ones and she's able to get two destriers down, but one almost gets here and Peter's got her back.
Speaker: Oh, I'm telling you. i love he's been protected I'm but telling you, like he literally like, saves her here. And like several dust years are then attacked by the trees that we were saying. Like, oh, the way that it describes like the snap.
Speaker: and Oh, it's very descriptive. It is very. The crunching. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So Raven then notices one last testier, Alan Moss, from earlier in the book, and gives him the opportunity to leave. And Alan just digs through his pocket, throws the black horse card out, and fle he's like, he's like, I'm not dealing with this. Nope. I'm out. I'm good.
Speaker: And Raven's like, go. And he's like, hey, at he was a smart one. He's like, only smart one in the group. Honestly. He's like, i ain't gonna get killed by a tree. Yeah. So eight destroyers followed Ioni into the woods during the struggle with um with Eric Spindle, Tyrion Hawthorne, and Elm falling shortly behind.
Speaker: Hoth was still trapped in the moving yew trees, distracting him from using his scythe. Emery was still breathing, but weak, and Raven tells Jesper to take him back to the castle. Raven tells Moret, Benyr, and Thistle to get back to the castle and to keep Emery safe.
Speaker: They all want to help, but he fights back, saying Jesper and Emery need rest, and that he will get the Shepard King to get the trees and drag them away if they don't. Lorette says she's never heard Raiden talk that much. It's my favorite.
Speaker: As his mother, she's never heard him talk that much until now. It's a full paragraph of him talking. He's like yelling at them. It's so good. So they say they're see you soon.
Speaker: Like, I don't want to say goodbyes. Like, Finnear goes, see you soon? Yep. And he's like, see you soon. And then Peter says that he'll come back after he takes them back to the castle. Again, Peter escorting Jasper back to the castle.
Speaker: Yep. Like, it's a thing. um Then Raven speaks to Elspeth and the Nightmare. He tells them that Ioni is bringing the Death Shires back around. And then Elvin tells Raven not to die and says, because if you do and we never get the time we're owed, I'll hate you, Raven, you.
Speaker: I'll love you and hate you forever. One of my favorite quotes. um The Nightmare redirects them to the task at hand. You know, like, we need to break this moment. But tells Raven it's time to get the cards from Hoth and bring them to the chamber.
Speaker: Yeah. So the tree's still and Hoth was pissed. Obviously. Raven speaks one last time to Elspeth and says, I love you too, Elspeth. And then takes off towards Hoth. Hoth gets his scythe as Raven hits him.
Speaker: Hoth regains his footing and then slices at Raven, making contact. Raven then uses his mirror to make himself invisible and the nightmare to speak in Hoth's head, saying, if you imagined I'd write fairly after everything you've done, you're a fool. I love it. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Hoth questions how he has a nightmare card, but Raven said this one was inherited. Because it was. So Raven's able to get his knife to Hoth's neck, but Hoth has the maiden activated to prevent him from dying.
Speaker: So Hoth pushes forward, punching Raven, and there's like we a lot of tussles. So Raven's able to grab him by the throat and bring him to the ground and then punches him repeatedly for everything he has done. It's like one punch for killing the king, two for telling Orithrilo about me, three for telling him about Emery. Like basically just listing out everything. And then I love the end. He goes, and 10 for everything he's done to Elm.
Speaker: like Oh, getting his vengeance. I know. So then Raven takes I think it's like a knife, right? Yeah. Yeah. And stabs Hoth in the gut and tells him that he's coming with him, whole or in pieces.
Speaker: ah Raven then gets the cards out of Hoth's pocket, but keeps hold of the scythe. Raven takes the scythe from him, tells him, I may not be able to use the scythe, but I can't undo it.
Speaker: And then tears it in half yeah Another Bennett versus, or, you know, taxes versus Rowan. Yeah, honestly. Ripping of the spice. It's great.
Speaker: Love this. So Raven feels relieved and even laughs, but is taken aback by a pain in his side. Hoth has stabbed him in the ribs. No! Where the Shepard King had been stabbed by Brutus Rowan. It's all like full circle. Again, history repeating itself. It's all like full circle.
Speaker: Hoth pushes Raven aside and reaches into his pocket for the mirror and nightmare cards. He collects the rest of the cards, tells him he hoped he would have been the one to kill him, then taps the mirror card and disappears.
Speaker: I hate everything. i hate this man. So we switch back to Elspeth's perspective. Elspeth, you know, tracks Ione, the Providence guards, and sees her leading the Destriers away, according to plan.
Speaker: The nightmare waits, much to Elspeth's dismay, as she's anxious about the approaching deadline. Finally, hearing the Destriers approach, the nightmare calls upon the Texas trees, who tell him there are eight Destriers chasing Ione, and urge him to cut them down at the knees to stop them. That's freaking brutal for some trees, man. I love it.
Speaker: So when the Nightmare stands, he commands the trees to move again, and they begin to attack the Destriers in the woods. Ioni rides by, and the Nightmare kills Destriers as she keeps leading them around and through the woods. Yeah, she's like doing loops, bringing them by, and he's killing them they pass.
Speaker: Ioni dismounts and uses the scythe to command the remaining Destriers to stop. The Nightmare then uses his sword to command the crew to command the trees to kill the men. And I only worried if it was hard for Elspeth to see, she continues tell the night, a nightmare to let Elspeth know she's sorry for their fight on Equinox, but he's trying to speak with the trees to find out if they got all the destroyers and chastises her. Like, can you chill? He's like, I need you to stop talking for minute. So I can listen. Yeah.
Speaker: Elspeth is upset with him for snipping at her cousin. And he tells I only that he's being lectured, which makes her smile. Yeah. Suddenly he stops I only and wants her to be quiet.
Speaker: They hear men's voices in the woods and Elspeth recognizes her father's voice yelling at Tyr. So another voice answers all snarky and she knows it's Elm.
Speaker: The nightmare stills the woods and sees Eric, Tyr and Elm all restrained and limping through the woods. Ione rushes toward forward and Tyr goes to her apologizing to both her and Elspeth.
Speaker: But yeah, that's not. That does not happen. No. The Nightmare turns away and lets Ioni cut their restraints. I love it. and He literally hands the sword to her because he's like, he's talking to Elspeth. He's like, I may cut them if I try to free them. Yep.
Speaker: So Eric just knows that Elspeth is different now and Elm kind of offers to explain later. So with Elm free, the Nightmare tells him to heal himself with the Maiden and then gets and then get to the stone chamber.
Speaker: He asks how many dead Destriers they found, and Elm answers four. The trees had only killed three, so there was still one Destrier out there. Elspeth sees Linden through the trees, who suddenly fires an arrow at them. but It grazes Elm and hits Ione in the shoulder.
Speaker: Elm and the Nightmare head to attack Linden, and the Nightmare reaches in first, knocking Linden to the ground. Oh, I also wanted to say, when Elm and Ione reconnect and they are all like lovey-dovey and the Nightmare knells with ghosts,
Speaker: Clearly we missed something. Clearly we missed something. like neither is like, thankfully. Yeah. That was so funny to me. Yeah. They're like, huh? They're like, huh? Because they've been all, they've been separate. Yeah. No one knows what's been going on with each other.
Speaker: uh so linden's knocked to the ground and elm grabs the nightmare sword and kills linden he returns the sword apologizing saying that he was keeping a promise elm then turns to a healed ione and kisses her immediately apologizing for not going with her this kiss shocked both elspeth and the nightmare and eric and tern look away okay so it did happen a little later but they do have like a moment yes but eric and tyran look away too because they're like embarrassed to be witnessing that i think it's so cute yeah great so elm heals himself with the maiden card as is eric and tyran before elspeth can remind the nightmare of their deadline again they notice providence guards moving through the woods and so they reach out for raven like he doesn't answer
Speaker: And they know something is wrong and the Nightmare tells Ioni and Elm to get their cards to the stone chamber. The Nightmare then runs towards Castle Yu and they notice the snow is stained red.
Speaker: Raven is lying in the snow with a dagger in his side. He says Elspeth's name and then she fights to reach him, but the Nightmare just asks just you know goes after Hoth.
Speaker: Raven mentions his card and asks the Nightmare to tell Elspeth not to hate him.
Speaker: The i'm sorry
Speaker: the nightmare just tells him that the better blunder he hopes for won't be possible if Raven dies, but Raven urges him to complete the mission. Elspeth hears cracking around her and it realizes that it's her breaking.
Speaker: The Nightmare asks Raven how long he'll last, and Raven just responds, I was ten minutes late to Spindle House. I'll be ten minutes late through the veil. Oh, baby. I'm fine, guys. I'm just sobbing. It's fine.
Speaker: The Nightmare leads Raven to find Hoth in the woods. He's running, and the Nightmare stops to command the trees to stop him. The trees trap and restrain Hoth, who taunts Elspeth by mentioning Raven. Ugh.
Speaker: The Nightmare grabs him by the throat and Elisabeth screams her rage with the Nightmare. Suddenly it's as if she's looking at Brutus Rowan. The Nightmare speaks about the Yewes and Rowans once growing together, speaking of balance.
Speaker: But time has changed things and they're both monsters now. Hoth believes that's what it takes to rule Blunder, but the Nightmare just commands the trees to bring Hoth to the stone chamber, dropping him through the rotted ceiling.
Speaker: The cards fall from Hoth's pocket and he backs away and fixes his crown. Okay, like, no, well, that's going to do nothing for you. Like, I'm still king. Meh. Then and Midnight is just minutes away, and the Nightmare just tells Hoth that he's the last of his kind.
Speaker: When Hoth thinks that the Nightmare means to kill Elm, the Nightmare clarifies that he's going to crown him instead. o Neither Rowan nor you, but somewhere between.
Speaker: pale tree in winter, neither red, gold, nor green. Black hides the bloodstain, but washes the realm, first of his name, King of the Elms. Oh, hell ah Favorite riddle. Yeah, that's probably the favorite best riddle.
Speaker: When the nightmare steps aside, Elspeth sees Ione and Elm coming through the window. He turns to Elm and asks him if he knows what must be done. When Elm confirms he does, the nightmare hands him the sword and says, then it's yours.
Speaker: All of it. Instead of staying, though, the Nightmare claims that he has to get back because they're waiting for me as he leaves the chamber. Oh, this book is so good. I can't believe it's almost over.
Speaker: So we switch back to Elm's perspective. So Elm is staring down Hoth with his knife in his hand and tells him that he's finally ready to be king. And Ioni chimes in saying, to also change things.
Speaker: And Hoth points out, you know, none of them in here are infected, so they can't really unite the deck. But Ione lays out the cards on the stone in the chamber and talks about how much she remembers about how Hoth used to make people go into the mist without their charms. She's like, you know, i saw you use this knife for many things.
Speaker: That was the one thing that stuck with me. Rude. Hoth reaches for Elm's throat and with his other hand grabs Elm's blade. Elm just smiles and cuts off Hoth's charm.
Speaker: The spirit takes him and infects him. Elm has a sword and asks Ioni to help him. Together, they put the sword to Hoth's chest over the cards and plunge it into him. oh For a moment, nothing happens, but then one at a time, the cards disappear. Ooh.
Speaker: Hoth frees himself and his crown falls off and his eyes change from green to white, parceled by angry red veins. They like describe his eyes like rolling back into his head too. So as the mist kind of recedes out of the chamber, it takes Hoth with it, leaving only his crown.
Speaker: Oh my God. This was so hard for me to imagine because like, I don't know if he like turns into this or does his age his body like floated out. like like ah don't know, man. Because it's like, I think it's up for us as the reader to interpret.
Speaker: But I feel like it's like his body. I feel like it just like disintegrated. It disintegrated. And it became the mist. That's kind of what I'm thinking. Because it would be weird as hell. Just have a body floating. I'm thinking. Or a zombie.
Speaker: Like, you know, like he's not there, but he's still moving. i don't know. Like, I think the disintegrating thing is just how I'm going to have to picture it. They look down at the stone and in it there's a single card left, a circle with a name in the center.
Speaker: They leave the chamber, looking up into the clear night sky, and then notice the trail of blood in the snow leading to the castle. so even know It's also his name in the center.
Speaker: It's Elm's name on the card. Is it? Mm-hmm. Oh, I didn't know that was on the other side. forgot about that. I didn't, i totally missed that. Yeah. And then we get Raven's perspective. So, Raven knows he's not dead due to the noise around him and the pain he feels.
Speaker: He tried dragging himself towards Castle U and was picked up by Peter, John Thistle, and his parents. Raven tries to grab at the dagger, but Moret tells him to leave it. He's placed on the dining table and John goes to fetch Felix medical postal supplies.
Speaker: His siblings appear and Emery doesn't seem to be doing well either. They all begin to kind of argue over the best way to treat him as he kind of slips in and out of consciousness. He hears a voice calling his name and suddenly he sees taxes standing over him. I will say in the audio book, it's great because it's like when he's like, Raven, you. He's like, it's so booming. He's like, where is the sky?
Speaker: The nightmare tells Jesper to start a fire to warm Raven and that he's going to need everyone's help holding Raven down. Magic is the only way to save him, and he tells Moret that there's magic in the family. Once the fire is going, Jester warms her hands and comes to the Nightmare's side per his commands.
Speaker: The Nightmare tells her, after catching himself, calling her Tilly, to put her hand on Raven's wound once he pulls out the dagger. everyone else has to hold down emory hears raven's heartbeat slowing and they all jump into action the nightmare tries to tell raven that elspeth's tired of him but raven knows that's not what she said yeah the nightmare warns raven to be brave before pulling the dagger out oh jesper's hands are on the wound and he feels nothing but blinding pain until he falls unconscious
Speaker: Raven wakes in his bedroom with Elm preventing him from getting up and Raven has been asleep for two days and Elm then opens the curtain so Raven can see that the mist is gone.
Speaker: wow So Raven immediately apologizes to Elm for leaving him at stone but before Elm can respond, Jesper rushes in to check on him. You know, thankful that Raven's still alive. She's like, i didn't kill you. I'm so i'm so happy.
Speaker: Yeah, which Elm obviously teases her about hurting Raven because she's like, you're elbowing a throat or something. She's hugging him like suffocating him. Yeah, so she's like, you know, you're hurting him after bragging about saving him. Like, come on. Yeah. But she just points out that Elm hasn't stopped showing off his new Providence card.
Speaker: Raven enjoys the banter and notices Emery, who crashes into him on the bed. Emery is well better and can touch Raven without any vision thanks to the new Providence card. It makes nice of heart. It's so happy that Emery's so healthy.
Speaker: Ione stops by and is happy to see that he's awake as well. But Elm pleases her and she leaves. Once gone, Raven kind of calls Elm out and Emery and Jesper just laugh before being kicked out of the room by Elm.
Speaker: sibling energy. love the sibling energy. Just this back and forth banter. I bet it's like more so for you because you have two siblings. that I only have one. no it's When you have the multiple that are like ganging up on you or you're just like barring and you have like the two you got to put back at you.
Speaker: I can only imagine. I can only imagine. So Elm just tells Raven he was meant to be at stone with Ioni and shows him the new Providence card.
Speaker: decorated to look like stained glass of every color with a yellow eyed man and a crown. The words, the shepherd above him. Oh, no so the nightmare is retrieving something from stone and will return.
Speaker: He's also asked Raven not to heal himself until after they speak. Raven just tells Elm that everyone thinks he'll be a great king, even taxes, but Elm doesn't know who that is. Hmm.
Speaker: I think it's so funny. He never knows in the name. So Raven wakes at nighttime and the nightmare brings him water after a kind of startling him. And he shows Raven a nightmare card explaining that the cards that united the deck have disappeared, but the other cards remained, meaning he holds the last nightmare card.
Speaker: He wants to show Raven something, and they walk to the stone in the chamber. Upon the stone are both the Shepard Kings and Brutus Rowans, two twisted crowns. oh Loved it. I had to. Tidal.
Speaker: He wonders if Raven plans to tell his family about their ancestry, but Raven isn't sure. Elspeth had the same concerns, you know worrying if people would think of her differently, knowing... the truth about her but raven says that he still cares for her seeing who she was yeah the nightmare admits he thought of himself as the father else he deserved so he did his best to protect her i love that he finally felt something other than anger when he awoke in her mind he remembered what it was to care for someone like that's so sweet it's so sweet
Speaker: He then admits that the shepherd card cannot be used on Elspeth as she will still absorb all the barters paid to create the 12 cards in the United deck. Because the...
Speaker: To get the shepherd card, all 12 cards. at the Yeah, I know. So she's going absorb all that and all the cards paid for that too, so. And Raven is kind of floored and begs the nightmare, claiming he's paid enough and asks if he'll ever be reunited with Elspeth in this life.
Speaker: And the nightmare responds that there's only one way. And when he hands Raven the last nightmare card, he tells him to destroy it, to release his soul and free Elspeth from her degeneration.
Speaker: Yeah, he's like, if you tear this, her degeneration is nothing to cling to. Yeah. So she won't continue to degenerate. Raymond's pretty upset that he's been able to free Elspeth this entire time. entire time. The entire time.
Speaker: But the Nightmare had to right his wrongs first and wasn't ready to leave Elspeth. Like he said, like, I knew. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. Yeah. Okay.
Speaker: his elephant yes Oh, Go, bitch. He's finally ready to say goodbye, though, and Raven offers him a moment to say, you know, goodbye with her.
Speaker: He takes the card and leaves the chamber, saying his goodbye to Taxis, telling him, be wary, be clever, be good. He heads to the meadow and waits 10 minutes before tearing the nightmare card in half.
Speaker: It's the 10 minutes for me, man. The 10 The minutes. The 10 minutes. ah All right. And then our last chapter. No, not last. Stay last. You have the epilog epilogue. The epilogue. Okay.
Speaker: So we switch back to Elspeth. Elspeth is surrounded by riddles from the nightmare about his secrets. Raven, Ione, the Rowans. He sits on the stone and she tries to reach for him, but it's he who comforts her.
Speaker: He apologizes to her and for bringing her into the darkness with him. Elspeth just tells him it was worth it to lift the mist and that she'd do it again to get to know him better, calling him taxes.
Speaker: He struggles to accept that and am admits he's unsure of what it'll be like to pass through the veil. He hopes it's similar to when Elspeth freed him 11 years ago. Quiet, gentle, full of wonder.
Speaker: I think that's so sweet. Yeah. It is. She, you know, she, she tells him that that's exactly how it's going to be, which I love. She's comforting him too, but she offers to tell him a story as it helped her to fall asleep as a child.
Speaker: He closes his eyes and she begins to recite their story about a clever girl and the shepherd king.
Speaker: She struggles to continue. Jeez, I am too. I'm tearing up. I know. know. She struggles to continue, not ready to say goodbye, but he gently urges her to continue.
Speaker: She does, and he echoes her words until they recite the final line together and the monster they became. oh It's so good. i know, Chandler's crying. Literally immediately crying. Chandler's crying.
Speaker: I can't. I know. ah And then we go into the epilogue. which doesn't really have a perspective, so to say. Although in reading it, it is kind of Elspeth's perspective, mostly. Yeah, that is true.
Speaker: So in a message to the people, Elm announces that he submitted to a chalice and shared the truth of all his crimes. The mist is lifted and borders are open and anyone who wishes to be cured can find it at Castle U with the shepherd card.
Speaker: oh Castle Stone is open as well to anyone that's been displaced. And those that wish to stay infected are no longer going to be hunted. He warns that the old book of authors be viewed as Blunder's twisted tale and that the spirit remains.
Speaker: To my kingdom, my Blunder, my land. Be wary, be clever, be good. The King of Elms. I love the signature. I'm obsessed. The King of Elms.
Speaker: So Blunder's houses are ringing their bells for equinox, and Elspeth is wandering the ruins in her mother's red dress. ah Raven appears and shares that everyone was in the field with taxes, including Iris and Bennett.
Speaker: Everyone's reunited. Everyone is gathered at Hawthorne House, including Elspeth's stepmother and half-sisters. Her father sneaks through a blooming yellow stem that she puts in her hair. oh Raven chastises Jesper for your sprinkling fowl... Fowlers?
Speaker: sprinkling flowers on Peter and Emery's collar, but Peter seems to like it and Emery's annoyed by his sister ah and Felix crying. Yeah. No, I'm obsessed. and I'm telling you you know Peter is like, give me all the flowers. I'll take anything. He literally is like popping out his dress. That's what I'm saying. He's like, I love it.
Speaker: He loves her. He's like, dress me up. Let's go. Dress me up. I'll do anything for you. So Ionia is barefoot in a simple white dress and Elm is in his typical black. I like that Elspeth's like, I'm pretty sure that's the outfit he wore as a highwayman. Yep.
Speaker: So Elspeth and Raven take their places at their cousins' side. That's so cute. Mm-hmm. And the wedding ceremony makes everyone cry. Me. Again. Yeah. Crying. Again. And Elm vows to love Ioni for a hundred years and eternity after, causing Ioni to kiss him passionately. Aww.
Speaker: They throw yellow irises for Elspeth's mother and per Elm's request. He was very specific about being yellow. Yes. Remember, he dreamed in yellow. Yeah. Yeah. And I only hugs Elspeth thanking her for having a hand and causing their fate. Because it's true. like All of us wouldn't have happened without Elspeth.
Speaker: And as they walk the forest path, Elizabeth thinks about the irony of Ione marrying a Rowan prince when that had been their biggest concern for her. And she knows the balance in everything around them as she realized she's walking the same and path she did with Ione and where she met Raven. Yeah, this is where she walked the, you know very first. Same day. In the very first book. The very beginning and then also where she met Raven and Elm.
Speaker: She loves the wilderness of the forest and hopes that parts of it remain wild. She hears a branch snap and thinks she sees him, a man with yellow eyes. Raven reminds her of the last time they were there and she responds that it's one of her fondest memories. He's like, remember when you beat me up? Yeah, yeah I do.
Speaker: We learn that Raven hasn't cured himself with a card, as he didn't wish to be cured, as he wants to hold on to his legacy and his connection to Taxus. I think that's so great. So Elspeth clicks her jaw three times, you know, not really ever getting rid of him. bit nightmarish presence. But Raven doesn't seem bothered, as he understands that Taxus still a part of her, even though he's gone. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: And Elspeth has finally realized who she is without him, that she's more than the story they shared. She was the author of Blunder's Dark Twisted Tale.
Speaker: i can't the last line of this fucking book gets me el it's a book and you're using like the author and like god fuck because then it makes me think like oh is this is just her story she's making it all up real ah the tears i shed oh the screams i scrumped at the end okay theories that we call yeah so mostly so i called you know off commanded Ioni to kind hide the card which you know yeah we wow but I didn't call it he'd gone her drunk of course wouldn't remember I was like maybe he could re-hidden it or something or commanded her to forget yeah no he just got her drunk that's but she did want a heartless queen like him yeah um I also guess you know Raven using the card to summon the spirit and save Elspeth
Speaker: Way off on that. Way off on that. Did not see the Nightmare's Planet coming at all. No. um And it's magic. I was right about that. Or no, sorry. I wasn't right about his magic, but I was right that Raven had like the the same. same. That he was related. He is descended from Texas. of Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. That was know a lot of mine. Yeah. And then lastly, I called that Elspeth survived. yeah with like the spirit and all that again way off she did survive but way off way off yeah that was a lot of mine my another one of mine was like the nightmares playing with elm making him king yeah well you were like spotting something like clearly he was setting the shit up from the beginning and then obviously like sacrificing for the turn all this card yeah because you were like when the group goes out you're like they're gonna need sacrifice someone maybe um maybe that's why they needed the extras yeah
Speaker: I mean, kind of. The Nightmare Plenty's gorse as the extra. In the Alderwood, not just bird, but the village ladies kind of took care of that. yeah But, yeah, that was all of our, pretty much all of our theories that yeah we kind of discussed.
Speaker: Who was your favorite character for this part? So, we do share a favorite character. Which... The Nightmare! The Nightmare! First of all, Texas. We love you. I do want to say...
Speaker: Raven. Oh, Raven. It was very cool. A very cool stuff for me was in Elm, though, too. Oh, for real. Because, I mean, the first in the first book, he was just kind of like this snarky second prince who he just didn't really care. I literally was going around. Because I was like, early in the first book, you hated Elm so much. know. I hated him. And now I love him. It's so gross. I love I told you this. I was like, i was like i love him. I love him. And then now we get this perspective and you're like, okay, I love him.
Speaker: But yes, sure. Sometimes it just makes me sing a little bit into their side understand their perspective. And I think that's why I like Raiden so much more in this book too. Yeah. Because we do get a flip of He didn't really want to fall in love. he But it happened. And he was immediately like, I will do whatever I can to protect her, regardless of what it means for me. But he's also not doing it just for her. Emery was a huge drive for this. It wasn't literally just a long answer. It's family and Elspeth. yeah. But I also realized, I don't think we ever picked Elspeth for any of our favorite characters. I don't think we did. At the beginning the first book, I think we did. Maybe.
Speaker: i mean, Elspeth is a good character. I'm not i'm not denying that either. I'm just... Yeah. It's a little harder in this book. She's more of a backseat character. She is because she's inside. She's inside.
Speaker: So what was your favorite twist this part? Bennett's power being able to rip the cards in half yeah that was great and like obviously I mean we knew that they had similar powers but that Raven could do the same like the like we said it was full circle moment when Raven rips the scythe in front of Poth it was Bennett ripping the scythe in front of Brutus yeah it was it's just so perfect I loved it and I and it was the fact that it was the literal antithesis of the Shepard King's magic like I
Speaker: one of mine was that the maiden can survive a fatal blow yeah that was in the very beginning of this part but we knew like ione like falling out of a a balcony you can survive i mean yeah it was a lot of recovery we don't actually know how high up he was pushed out of as well so maybe it in this car but still the fact that it actually deal it heals a fatal blow is crazy that was a big thing for me and then same with like the ripping cards and Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, and we both agreed this. I forgot to mention it, that Hoth getting infected. was not that was not my big deal. Yeah. was not on my bingo party yeah no idea whatsoever.
Speaker: That was a good twist. that I didn't see it coming. Yeah. That was a very good one. Oh, also, Jesper becoming Tilly 2.0. Yes. Love that. Like, i llet I just, like, I really liked that that was a twist, that it was a small twist, but it it tied everything together because if we didn't have Jesper, Raven wouldn't be alive. Exactly. so it it just The way she put together this book, I'm just, like, amazed she thought Like, and I mean, obviously ah it's a book about balance. She's going to know how to write. Yeah.
Speaker: What was your favorite quote or quotes, I should say? i have three, but then obviously like the overall favorite quote for this entire book is be wary, be clever, be good. Yeah. Like that's always going to my favorite. But my next one was when Elspeth is talking to the nightmare in her head and- With Ioni? Yes, with Ioni. And she goes, oh, give her a hug. And the nightmare goes, don't be don't be grotesque. And I'm like, I just love that. Yes.
Speaker: um The next one is from Raven's point of view. and it's I'm not sure if it's in this part or part two. It's in this one. It's when he's swimming or like running. And he says, forward, always forward.
Speaker: Always pushing forward. That is a tattoo. if But also, that's also why he it took him so long to realize who he was because he was only moving forward. He never looked back at the past. That's true. So I like that.
Speaker: And then my last one, this is kind of a repeat of... it's This quote is technically from the book but the spirit kind of mentions it. And she, you know, tells Raven, you once said magic sways like salt water on a tide. I believe the spirit is the moon commanding the tide.
Speaker: She pulls us in, but also sets us free. She is neither good nor evil. She is magic, balance, eternal. Yep. I think it's just so poetic and beautifully written. And and it's powerful. Yeah.
Speaker: But it's a different meaning. Yeah. You know, the spirit was always watching. So she recognized that you recognized. That you saw. Yeah. They recognized that part. And also the fact that she was like, I will have, i would, I would have everyone in blunder believe that Mm-hmm.
Speaker: So mine, my overall favorite, I was 10 minutes late to Spindle House. I'll be 10 minutes late through the veil. Oh, stop. These freaking 10 minutes. The 10 minutes. I can't with it. You know? Yeah.
Speaker: And then I also love this, too. When the Nightmare is explaining his plan to Raven, he says, your cousin Elm has done more than Brutus Rowan or i ever could. He has looked pain in the eye and refused to let it make a monster of him.
Speaker: Amazing. ah chef's kiss amazing you know this book is great you know I know changed my life yeah I'm like I know it's the end and there's no more So we don't really have any theories or questions, but I don't have any. I just want more. I know. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the characters. Like I said, I want to know about Peter and Jesper. I want to know what magic looks like, you know, or do generation still an issue. I mean, I guess not say the shepherd card, but like, what if someone wants to, wants to keep their magic and like not caring about that? Like what are the repercussions? I don't know. Yeah. I love it. i just want to know more, but I can't.
Speaker: I do want to say, I i commend, this author oh oh rachel gillig the you just the amount of feelings that i feel for these characters and just two books oh yeah like even just one book like the she draws you in and connects you so well with just the first book that it's like it's it's crazy
Speaker: It's just two books, but it feels like it was such an intense series. It feels like was seven. Yeah, so much happens, but it doesn't feel rushed or like anything was like skipped over. It was so well written. And like the poetry, I just, I can't get over it. I love it all. I literally have recommended this book to every single person that has like asked for the recommendation. I recommend Thank you for listening and be sure to visit us again next week for a new story. And if you have a story you want us to tell, you can let us know on one of the platforms listed in the description.
Speaker: While you're there, you can like and follow to stay up to date for the next books we'll discuss. Thank you for stopping by for our tale. The library is now closed. Bye-bye.
