Spoil Me! The Grishaverse

Thank you so much to Joanna for commissioning this episode! It's the final chapters of this book, but it's certainly not the end of the story. There are a lot of fun and delightful surprises packed in this section, one of which almost made me cry with relief, and another that made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I am SO excited for what comes next, and desperate as well. I hope we get a sequel soon! Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode of something!

Thank you very much to Joanna for commissioning this episode! Okay so I may have overdone it with how much I read for this episode, but please have mercy on me and keep in mind that I am but a weak-willed woman filled with passion and curiosity. And I was justly punished for my overeagerness, because something truly horrifying happened in chapters 44 and I wish I didn't know it. Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to Joanna for commissioning this episode! These chapters are the ones where Nina is onboard to see another attack on Ravka from the deck of a Fjerdan ship. Unfortunately for Fjerda, they are met with Zoya wielding quite an incredible amount of power to electrocute all of the soldiers in the water. It's really amazing how complete a failure this particular attack turns out to be. Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Joanna for commissioning this episode!Y'all how is this book hitting me in the feels so goddamn hard I have never shipped characters as hard in anything as I ship Zoya and Nikolai, and if they don't wind up together I shall die. Also, there's a heist in Ketterdam just like old times, while a coup is happening is in Shu Han. Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you again soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! In these chapters, we get to see some of the horrific things being done to soldiers in order to turn them into the Khergud, and Mayu finds her brother...but it's took late, he's already been transformed. Also, we get to see Kaz Brekker again! Thank you all again for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! These chapters as just devastating. I was simply not ready for David to actually be gone. I really truly wasn't, and that whole scene was so difficult to read. I am so sad for Genya, who just doesn't seem like she can catch a fucking break, and I know there's no way to undo this terrible loss. Meanwhile, Nina is struggling to do something with herself after getting absolutely leveled by the news. Despite her terrible grief and guilt she manages to pull something together that's actually pretty impressive. Oh and the Darkling is on the move. Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! This series of chapters is so mean-spirited. First we get this wonderful surprise of the REAL wedding that is taking place between David and Genya, and it's a delightfully sneaky move that results in a delicious coup back in Shu Han. But then we have the awful ending of Part 1 after the attack and her joy has turned to ashes. Meanwhile, we get Mayu's POV for the first time, and it's a real eye-opener to see how the Princess is viewed by certain people despite her reputation for being beloved. However, Ehri winds up winning her over in a carefully crafted bit of theatre. Thank you for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to Joanna for commissioning this episode! This book is really heating up and I am just LOVING it. First of all, we've got Nina and Hanne going to see the Prince and watching the interaction between him and the "Lantsov Pretender", which Nina isn't as confident about anymore. Seems like he may actually be the real deal. Then there's the return of Alina, and the Darkling pulling whatever kind of bullshit he's decided to pursue now. I'm not sure how he's doing all this, but he's got access to more power than we thought he would at this point, and he seems to be using Alina and Mal to do it. Thank you again to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! This shit is really starting to get nuts. I keep thinking Nina has been found out or is in danger of being found out, and it keeps being like...borderline true? True in a way? And I'm really impressed at the way in which Leigh Bardugo is able to sustain the tension for so long and make me genuinely worry for her despite knowing that she's a main character and very unlikely to just be executed or anything. I am simply ALWAYS nervous for her! Meanwhile, Nikolai is recovering and decides to open up to Zoya a little more and show her what he's been dealing with, and the way that things are progressing has got me very, very worried. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you again to Joanna for commissioning this episode! These chapters, we find out that there's quite a huge payoff to Nina being on the ground in Fjerda. She's able to tip them off about a secret attack that would have flattened them if they hadn't been prepared, but even with warning the losses are substantial. Meanwhile, Nina is being contacted with a new mission, one that's subtle and dangerous enough that she's going to be walking the edge of a knife, and Nikolai comes back to his palace just in time to see the Shu Princess get burned alive. Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to Joanna for commissioning this episode! I'm so excited to be starting this book so quickly after finishing the previous one, and I'm very much here for the way things begin even though it's super unexpected and super SUPER unsettling. I didn't think we were going to see the Darkling being able to flex his power this quickly, and if he's able to do this sort of thing already, what will he be capable of if he's loose???Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Joanna for commissioning this episode! This book ends on such an amazing cliffhanger that I'm delighted I'm going to be able to start the next one so soon. I can't believe I didn't see this coming in the first place because in retrospect it seems so obvious that we were heading in this direction, but now that we're here I'm dying to see what Zoya is gonna do with this amazing power she's inherited. And on another note, what's up with her dragon eyeballs? Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode!These chapters are the climax of both Nina and Zoya's stories, and honestly Nina's shit always winds up being so fucking epic and satisfying. I love her so much.But Zoya, you know you my girl tho.

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode!These chapters there are a bunch of critical moments being reached, but I personally am a LITTLE distracted by the fact that Nikolai has been fucking CONNED and turns out that this shit is NOT meant to free him. I AM SO MAD RIGHT NOW. Thank you so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Joanna for commissioning this episode! These chapters are where shit really begins to ramp up. We've got Isaak beginning his attempts to grow closer to the Shu princess so that he can get information, and that already looks like it's going pretty well. Zoya is beginning to try doing some other types of Grisha power, which I'm very into. And as for Nina...well, she's unexpectedly thrust into the presence of Jarl Brum which I absolutely didn't expect and I'm so mad that this asshole is still alive. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Joanna for commissioning this episode!These were really great chapters, and I'm so interested in what's going on with each character that I'm having the rare experience of NEVER being sad when we start a new chapter from a different POV. Unlike SOME books I could name. *coughasoiafcough*These chapters are the ones in which Isaak has his first test as King, Nikolai has his first test as the Beast, and Nina has a confrontation with both her companions and with Hanne. Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! This is a pretty wild section as we get into some shit that we've never seen; first of all there's the introduction to the weird sand-based land that the "Saints" live in, and then there's a new member of the team! Isaak is here to take Nikolai's place (we hope temporarily) if his Majesty is still not back by the time their big summit is scheduled. I can't wait to see where all of this weirdness is going! Thanks for listening, and see you again soon!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! These chapters are when shit goes in a totally, completely different direction than I ever expected. We get a sudden arrival, whether through some kind of interdimensional portal or an enhanced Grisha powered moment or "miracle" I still can't figure out.Thanks you all so much for listening, and I can't wait to see where this is going!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! These chapters are really amping things up. First we've got Nina nearly getting attacked by wolves (and then she's saved by Matthias's wolf, which is really breaking my heart), then we've got Zoya almost getting carried off by these weird cyborg hybrids, and poor Nikolai transforms in the MIDDLE OF THE DAY. I do not like where ANY of this is heading. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode!I manage to catch up on the last chapter, while deeply shipping Zoya and Nikolai and crossing my fingers that he doesn't cave to the proposed marriages. As all this is happening, he attacks her in his altered form after escaping from his bonds by picking the locks. OR DID HE???? This is when we find out that the Darkling now has a cult following that has declared him a saint. Nikolai wonders if they may have the key to purifying himself of this weird possession, and plans a trip. Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Joanna for commissioning this episode, and please accept my heartfelt apologies for not getting through the entire 6th chapter. I completely lost track of time and I will make up for it, I swear! These chapters are really fun and interesting. There are so many wild projects that Nikolai is working on, and I love how he's using this guy Kirigin as a front for it all. I'm also delighted that Nikolai enjoys Zoya for exactly who she is and isn't captivated by some idea of her secret softness. Meanwhile, there's a whole thing happening at this factory where Nina et. al are doing recon, and she's stumbled on something clearly sinister. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you all again soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Jaime for commissioning this episode! I'm delighted to be back in the Grisha universe that I grew to love in the Six Of Crows duology, versus the Shadow & Bone duology. And I'm especially happy that we're going to be spending so much more time with Nikolai, whom you all know I loved immediately and frankly was bewildered at the fact that Alina preferred Mal to him. I'm very sad to find out that he's still suffering the fallout of the Darkling's attack on him, though. That blows. I don't know why it would be getting worse but I agree with him regarding his suspicions that the "miracles' occurring all over have got to be related. Thanks for listening, and I will see you all again soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to Joanna for commissioning this episode! These are the final chapters of Ruin & Rising, and while I've made no secret of my frustration with the series and my irritation with the pacing overall, I'm pleased to say that I was actually pleasantly surprised by this ending. While yes, she does wind up with Mal, and yes, she does save the day and yes, Nikolai is saved...it still manages to happen in an unexpected way. So you know what? I'm leaving on a sweet note and I'm happy with that. Thank you all so much for listening, and we will see you with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode!So this is the penultimate episode of coverage of Ruin & Rising and I feel like other than the discovery that Mal is the amplifier the story has pretty much stood still over the past few episodes and I'm really needing things to get a move on, here. I definitely want to know what happens, but I'm just so fed up with Alina whining and being shocked that the Darkling is a Bad Guy that I am very ready for this book to be over so we can move onto The King Of Scars. Thanks for listening, and sorry ahead of time for being so angry! Love yooouuuu

Thank you Joanna for commissioning this episode! These are the chapters in which we find out what the amplifier actually is, and honestly this is kinda rad. LMAO Oh boy.

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode!So these chapters are the one where the Darkling discovers Nikolai's hideout, allegedly due to Sergei's betrayal. Not only are they forced to flee and abandon the place, but Nikolai gets....gets.....well, he gets TURNED INTO A FUCKING VOLCRA. Thanks for listening!

Thanks to Jaime for commissioning this episode! These are the chapters where the King And Queen of Ravka are finally held accountable for the way they treated Genya, and it's very satisfying. Thank you for that, Nikolai. Also, this is when Nikolai kind of proposes to Alina....well, he does the important part, actually, and gives her the ring. But he doesn't quite ask the question.Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! These chapters our crew is able to finally come up above the surface and get some sunlight. It looks like they're about to get gripped up again, when Nikolai swoops in to rescue them and takes them all to his secret, badass hideout in the mountains. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Jaime for commissioning this episode! After a long hiatus, I'm back in the land of the Grisha, with the remainder of the Second Army as they finally manage to break away from the Apparat. The caves and tunnel system comes in handy for secret travel, but as we see at the end of Chapter 4, they're not without their own risks. And of course, there's the dude who talks to his cat. Thanks for listening, and I will see you next week with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode!Alright kids, we're getting into the final installment of this series! In this section, we see how Alina is basically being abused by the Apparat, kept away from her friends and used as a figurehead and a pawn. It's really awful to see how effective he is at this, too, because damn it's really like without the crew she already had at her back she wouldn't have gotten out of this. But get out she does (kind of) due to some orchestrated help and an elaborate plan. Hopefully now that she's reestablished her connection with the sun, she's going to get healthier and stronger and be able to take control. Thanks so much for listening, everyone, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Jaime for commissioning this episode! This episode is the final one for Siege & Storm and it was an ending that I'm not totally happy with, but I'm really trying to withhold judgment because there's some potential for things to get cleaned up or at least made more interesting in the next book.The main issue I keep running into is just how much Bardugo leans on romance in this trilogy so far, versus in Six Of Crows where it felt like a very slow, restrained burn. She has come a long way as an author, and even more than the timing in the other series, I think what mattered was the characters. I just liked everybody more! So I'm not sure at this point it's a problem that can be fixed. I guess we will just have to wait and see!

Thank you to Megan for commissioning this episode! I'm really not sure what to make of these chapters, because it's a lot of Mal feeling sorry for himself and getting drunk, putting himself in harms way, and generally shirking his duty. Alina is also kind of in a similar place, wandering out into the town amongst the devotees who think she's a saint, almost letting herself get torn apart. However, I'm at least glad to see a flicker of interest coming from Alina regarding Nikolai as a romantic partner, because honestly I think they're way more suited and while I don't think they will ultimately wind up together, i need her to at least see what's right in front of her face. Thank you again so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Joanna for commissioning this episode!In these chapters, OH BOY ALINA IS STARTING TO FUCKING LOSE IT! I'm so delighted to see her struggling with anger issues, honestly this is the most relateable she's been to me so far. Also, what the FUCK happened to Baghra!? I'm legit horrified. Is it just me, or did that description point to the Darkling having left something behind? Uuurrghh.Thank you so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Jaime for commissioning these episodes! In these chapters, Alina is finally getting on board with the fact that, while she might not like the fact that people see her as a saint, it's actually sort of advantageous for her to be seen that way and maybe she should play into it. For his part, I'm relieved to see that Mal is calming down a little bit more and seems to be much more reasonable in these chapters than he's been so far. I'm hoping that he will understand what Alina is facing here and be more supportive. Anyway, thank you all again so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to Jaime for commissioning this episode! In these chapters, we find out who Sturmhond really is, and there's a reason that he's after Alina. This rescue was more than a job for client, it was a job for his own plan masked as a commission, and honestly I'm very much here for all of this. Meanwhile, I'm coming to the conclusion that I don't like a lot of the characters in this book even though I'm very into the story, and I sure hope that doesn't affect my enjoyment going forward! Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you again soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Jaime for commissioning this episode! I keep being surprised by how quickly these books move along, and I'm really here for the whole coup that Sturmhond executes. It was a total shock how abruptly everything went left, and I'm even more shocked at the fact that, by the end of this section, we've not only escaped from the Darkling (for now) but also gotten the second amplifier! Well that was fast! But I will say that the one thing I'm super unhappy about is Mal. I don't know what his problem is, and I honestly don't really care. I thought he would be more supportive and it turns out that he's already kind of afraid of her, which like...really? Get over it, dude. Fuck. Thank you all again so much for listening, and I will see you again soon with a new episode!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode! It's time to get into the next book, and shit is popping off way more intensely way more quickly than I expected. Alina and Mal get scooped right the fuck back up by the Darkling in what feels like record time, and this motherfucker is just as shitty and shady as ever. Turns out he has his eye on yet another amplifier that comes from yet another allegedly mythical animal. I don't like this. At all. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to Jaime for commissioning this episode!It's the final episode of coverage for Shadow & Bone, and I'm surprised yet again at the direction the story goes. I assumed that we were going to end this book on a bit of a downer note, with a mission to fulfill in the next book, but instead one of the major problems is solved and I'm not sure what the second book has in store for us now! Thank you all so much for listening, and I will see you soon with the start of Seige & Storm!

Thank you so much to Jaime for commissioning this episode!I'm super excited to be getting back into this universe, and that excitement was rewarded with a helluva twist. I never expected that Alina would get caught, NEVER. Or if she was caught, I assumed that she was going to escape before they were able to collar her. NOPE. WRONG AGAIN. I'm really into this book and I'm looking forward to seeing how this book wraps, because the next one is coming up! Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Jaime for commissioning this episode! Okay folks, we're getting down to the action of this book, and it's time to bid farewell to the cushy, lovely palace and the gorgeous clothes and the intoxicating sense of power that comes with being the Darkling's favorite. Because as it turns out, the Darkling is a bad guy. Well, according to his mom at least. Turns out that it wasn't some ancient ancestor who created the Fold that the Darkling is trying to make amends for...turns out that the Darkling is himself ancient, and he's not only the one who created the Fold, but he wants to expand it. The one thing in the way of that is the Volcra, which it turns out used to be PEOPLE which is SO FUCKED UP. So Alina runs, and Mal helps. But right now, I'm still not ready to forgive him. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to Jill for commissioning this episode! I'm really glad that I reached the chapters where Alina gets in touch with her power before my vacation! And I'm pleased that despite the fact that Alina is able to finally reach it, she's not suddenly able to access the LEVEL of power that would be needed to eliminate the Fold, so there's still something else that needs to be overcome. Also, I'm very much here for the court intrigue and the way that the infighting simmers just below the surface of everything. There's a new player here, named Zoya, and we've met her before...but she didn't seem quite as unpleasant there as she does here. Thank you all so much for listening, and I hope you have a beautiful holiday!

Thank you so much to Jaime for commissioning this episode! In these chapters of Shadow And Bone, Alina meets Genya, who is going to be something like a ladies maid to her, and she's scrubbed and shined and presented to the king. It's an interesting scene because she's not overwhelmed by the majesty of everything to a degree that clouds her judgement; she's able to see who the king and queen really are in moments. Even if she hasn't got the court experience to really grasp it yet, she kind of knows. Meanwhile, there are all sorts of squabbles among the other Grisha about who gets to claim Alina as theirs, and Alina isn't particularly interested in wearing the black that the Darkling wears. Eventually she gets a kefta that's Summoner Blue, and it's time for her training. Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to Jill for commissioning this episode! We are starting on the next Leigh Bardugo series, and if I'm not mistaken it's a prequel to the previous books. It's a whole different world, even though it's the same world, because we're seeing how differently the Grisha are treated when they're not being persecuted or sold as slaves. It's really wild how totally different it all feels on this side of things. In these opening chapters we meet Alina, who is a Grisha and yet has no idea well into her adult life, far beyond the time that most Grisha are able to tap into their powers. As it turns out, she's able to do something that is very very rare, and as of right now it seems as if she's not able to call up this ability at will...but I suspect that's going to be changing soon. Thanks you all so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you again to Denise for commissioning this episode! I can't believe this book is over already, and I'm both a little sad but a little surprised at how happy the ending wound up being. When we get right down to it, these chapters end about as ideally as it's possible to be. There's the adorable shacking up of Jesper and Wylan, and Wylan recovering his inheritance and bringing his mother back to live with him. Then there's Inej and Kaz holding hands for the first time, and him finding her family and getting nervous about meeting her family. And of course, Inej facing down Pekka Rollins and scaring him the fuck out of Ketterdam. The only blight on the perfection of this ending is the fact that Nina lost Matthias, and she's gone away to bury him in Fjerda. I hate this part, and I hate Inej missing her. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you again soon with the start of Shadow And Bone!

Thank you so much to Jaime for commissioning this episode! I can't believe how much happens in this section, and I am a sobbing mess by the end of this episode so I sure hope you're ready for that. I'm not even going to say any more about this on here. Thanks for listening, and see you soon!

Thank you to Jill for commissioning this episode! I'm loving this book in general, and in truth I'm getting a little nervous because things are going a little too well for our crew now. Last episode we saw Kaz coming out on top with a fight against his fellow Dregs. At least, the Dregs that are fairweather and insecure. I was a little worried about this tactic at the auction, because things had just gone well enough that he seemed to be due for a fail. Maybe not a BIG fail, but something. Instead, this plan goes spectacularly, and I am assuming that the "Council of Tides" was not actually the real deal and instead was some of the Grisha that Kaz has made a deal with. But who knows? Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much Jaime for commissioning this episode! I'm so glad to be getting back into this book. I didn't even realize how much I missed it until I was into it again, amongst our loveable rapscallions, and I'm glad that in these chapters we're getting some pretty solid (though doubtless temporary) victories. First off, there's the wonderful pairing of a newly-restored Wylan and Jesper, which makes my heart happy. And then there's the absolute stone-cold badassery of Kaz Brekker taking back the Dregs. Fucking YES!Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Denise for commissioning this episode! In these chapters, we get some really tough moments that were a challenge for me to talk about without getting super emotional. There's something about Jesper's situation which, because it's so much more healthy that the others' histories, makes it slightly more relateable to me. His father isn't evil, Jesper wasn't abused, or raped, or enslaved. He was simply...rejected. But only in part, while his father supported and loved him in every other way. So this has led to a man who resents his father AND feels guilty about resenting him. Ooof. I can relate. Thank you all so much for commissioning so many episodes, and I really hope you've been enjoying the coverage. See you soon!

Welcome to the next episode of Crooked Kingdom, thanks to estimable commissioner Katelyn! This is the section in which everything goes wrong. All of the people in Kaz's crew are descended upon while they're separated, and it's a real bad scene for each and every one of them. They're all able to escape, but for a few there's a particularly close call...while for others, it seems like there's actually a bit of triumph. And by "others", I mean Nina. I'm really very interested in Danyasha, and I'm simultaneously looking forward to and dreading seeing her again. Thank heavens for zombies in that case, amirite?Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!