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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Time Stamps:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Iron Squad Fantasy Draft!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @dragonsinthedetailspod

TikTok: @dragonsinthedetailspod

YouTube: @dragonsinthedetailspod

Discord: Dragons In the Details Pod Server

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

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

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

Time Stamps:

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

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

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

12:27 - 18:16: Draft rules!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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