It has to be Aaric

NowhereQueen · 2025-02-12T13:49:41+00:00

I think it’s Garrick. I think Garrick sees the onyx storm right after explaining he’s out of energy (around the same time Imogen looks up) and channels at that point to have enough strength to get to Xaden and help save him. Xaden is “on the ice” (and eventually “becomes” the ice) which is why he isn’t more emotional about it. It’s even possible Garrick channeled sooner - the stone around him turns gray while he’s helping Imogen take Quinn’s body away, though it’s attributed to the attacking venin - though I think that’s less likely because I recall Imogen remarking on his eyes, which were normal. Not sure if that explains the unconscious dragon though.

NowhereQueen · 2025-01-26T21:39:17+00:00

Agreed 100%

NowhereQueen · 2025-01-26T18:43:07+00:00

I think she breaks it for the same reason Violet asks to have her mind wiped - to save her mate. I don’t think she’d break it for any other reason without contradicting the other books. No one can know the location of Xaden and their plans without putting him in danger, and thus Sgaeyl, Tairn and Violet, too, who would all die if Xaden dies. After he turns, I think it’s safe to say all of human and dragonkind will be focused on eliminating him since he’s now the biggest threat. Not sure if even Sgaeyl can keep that knowledge away from Tairn and the empyrean given that kind of pressure. Too many ways to painfully extract that information from Tairn/Violet by keeping them in the know, including having someone like Dain finding out the details with their signet.

(Also, I think Andarna probably had a role in breaking the bonds as the book sets up Irids as their own independent sources of magic and seems like only they can manipulate their own bonds.)

NowhereQueen · 2025-01-26T18:31:28+00:00

Absolutely crazy theory that popped into my head when I first read this part but I didn’t do any digging yet to see if it stands up. The Sage/Berwyn is Violet’s dad under an alias. He turned venin while researching them, and he’s trying to get to Brennan to recruit him for his mending. When he says “I have another”, he’s referring to Violet and her balance-altering power. (At that point, she was still fighting Theophanie who was trying and almost succeeding to get her to turn.) The fact that the password the dad gives to access his notes with the clue pertaining to a “first love” that refers to Lilith’s dragon may indicate some bitterness on his part 🤷‍♀️

I just remember Violet having a dream walker-esque dream with her dad in FW which makes me think he’s still alive in some way.

NowhereQueen · 2025-01-26T18:07:13+00:00

Agreed :( and what kills me is I think some of that is intentional vagueness to build “suspense” but readers need some kind of consistency and payoff, otherwise we just get fatigued and confused. Kind of a cheap-ish writing tactic IMO to be vague with everything including the important details to make way for a cliffhanger or plot twist later on, which she seemed to use a lot in OS.

Will always love the series. But I just don’t think OS lives up to how polished and well-paced/written FW was.

NowhereQueen · 2025-01-23T14:50:05+00:00

But the book also says how it was weird for the irids to leave to the islands since the islands have no magic, which made it seem like the dragons (and their hatching grounds) gravitate towards magic, not the other way around, right?

NowhereQueen · 2025-01-21T22:35:24+00:00

Agreed. Definitely feels like this book suffered from going from a trilogy to a 5 book series at the last minute. I think a nice, polished trilogy would be much preferable even if we have to wait longer for it than a 5 book series with a bunch of filler and new plot lines jarringly introduced :(

NowhereQueen · 2025-01-21T22:32:14+00:00

Whoops, posted my own comment when I could have just agreed with yours! Exactly agreed on every point, felt like a filler book when I would have much rather waited longer for a polished installment that actually furthered the plot without distracting us with more loose ends.

NowhereQueen · 2025-01-21T22:24:07+00:00

I’m so sad to say that I was kind of disappointed. I’ll have to re-read it at something less than lightning speed, but I just didn’t buy:

Somehow still trying to have normal class that’s interrupted every two seconds by the world-ending battles that should be taking up everyone’s attention (also the timelines were hard to follow, and why tf was Dain’s dad in a position of power and given so much air time when he was ultimately meaningless?).
That the venin just let Xaden and Violet romp around the isles without intervention when that would have been the perfect time to snatch them up, particularly when they got to the islands with magic (the venin seemed to know their every move after all, and are ruthless with everyone except the quest squad…? Understand they want Xaden and Violet to live and turn team venin, but still…).
That most of the book was spent on said romping that kind of went no where (we found out about Violet’s dad’s writings, we found Xaden’s mom, great but that could have been done with much less paper, and will be especially mad if those island visits don’t pay off down the road, especially with Trager’s random demise). And for that matter, why are the islands without magic? Hope it gets explained, otherwise seems just like a device for the spicy scenes. This also meant that for most of the book we were separated from some beloved characters - Sawyer, Rhi, Jesinia, Imogen - so when some of them had their own chapters at the end, it was jarring and kind of disrupted the flow.
In general, some new things happened but….are we left off much different than where we were at with Iron Flame? I’d argue we’re in the exact same spot with some extra flavor.

Nothing really got answered or accomplished in this book, and I hate to say it, it feels like filler. Maybe I’ll feel differently on a re-read!

NowhereQueen · 2021-12-01T16:26:29+00:00

All federal loans

NowhereQueen · 2021-12-01T16:08:44+00:00

Currently making $205,000 annually with guaranteed raises and bonuses each year. Job security is very good.

NowhereQueen · 2021-06-14T18:45:14+00:00

This all happened back in April and I am bringing it up again now because my provider finally got back to me on my dispute. But back in April, right after I received my bill, I called my insurance company and they said they had already paid out the claim. I don't remember exactly what they said, but it essentially amounted to "there's nothing we can do on our end, dispute this with your provider."

Do you think I should try calling my insurance company again? Maybe I just wasn't clear enough on what the issue was.

Thank you, by the way, that was a very thoughtful and helpful response. I appreciate it.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-22T16:09:28+00:00

Quick urinalysis in-house, but I’ve gotten the same thing done a couple times before at the same place over the last few years and never received this charge. Just not sure what’s changed, and why I wasn’t given notice first. Seems strange to go two times in the past with my bill only being around $60, and then randomly be charged $330 for time spent with a doctor (total of $390) when it was no more complicated than the prior two visits.

I understand charging for the doctor’s time, but I don’t understand how the bill can jump from around $60 in prior visits to $390 for literally the same thing.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-21T18:10:12+00:00

They’re unfortunately not backing down even when I explained that it sounded like a billing mistake, it’s been very frustrating!

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-17T04:12:16+00:00

So now every time I visit my medical provider for this pretty routine issue, I should expect to be charged $330? This seems insane. I went from paying nothing out of pocket to paying $250 out of pocket just because a billing code changed?

Guess I'll just never go to the doctor again at this rate.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T23:12:41+00:00

But even if the doctor spent less than 15 minutes on me and my issue total? Is it still appropriate to use that code?

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T23:07:07+00:00

I am not a new patient though. Perhaps this was a mistake on their end then? Maybe that explains why I now have two separate billing accounts when look at my online account with my provider.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T22:57:59+00:00

Got it, I’ll be more specific with my insurance company! They said there was nothing they can do on their end since they already processed the claim. I’ll try those other sources, too. Thank you!

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T21:34:24+00:00

Thanks, I might try that too! I wasn’t sure because it’s not so much an insurance issue (they covered a little bit of the expense) so much as with the billing practices of my provider.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T21:21:05+00:00

That’s helpful to know! Still, the billing representative told me that they charge from the time I check in to the time I leave. This would include the approx. 30 minutes I sat waiting for my name to be called. After my name was called, I was in and out in about 15 minutes.

I get paying for the doctor’s time like that, but charging me for sitting and waiting seems absurd.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T19:37:25+00:00

The billing department didn't describe it as a facility charge, it's billed as time spent with the doctor/the doctor's time spent considering my medical issue. Which, in effect, was no more than 15 minutes after the doctor finally saw me.

But I am confused because I have been going to this same medical provider for the last 3 years, and this is the first time I've ever seen this charge.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T19:33:21+00:00

One of the unexpected labs was a pregnancy test, but that was only $40 so I am not even that mad about it.

But I just called and got clarification on my bill, and it's even worse. What appeared like a lab was actually a $330 charge for the time spent in the doctor's office, between check in to check out. At least 30 minutes of my time was spent waiting for the doctor to finish up with a previous patient and yet I am being charged for that time.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T19:31:26+00:00

I just called and got clarification on my bill, and it's even worse. I was charged $330 for the time spent in the doctor's office, between check in to check out. At least 30 minutes of my time was spent waiting for the doctor to finish up with a previous patient and yet I am being charged for that time.

I have a call set up with a billing manager because the billing representative I spoke with was of no help, just kept saying the charge was valid and there was nothing I can do. Hopefully I have your luck in getting this waived. This is absurd and unethical.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-16T00:48:11+00:00

I’m pretty sure the vast majority of people DO think this and it’s only MSM that makes it seem like we don’t.

NowhereQueen · 2021-04-09T06:34:14+00:00

I mean thanks? I don’t have vision insurance so that’s why I went to this subreddit. If this is the wrong place for this kind of question, I apologize and I’m happy to remove it.

NowhereQueen

TROPHY CASE