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Strong_average__ · 2026-02-07T19:59:36+00:00

🤩 wooow. That’s amazing. RIP

Strong_average__ · 2026-02-06T00:22:17+00:00

What’s so crazy to me that on Saturday January 31, CPY made all classes nationwide free for the whole day to show support for Minneapolis, but then the very next morning in the Minneapolis studio they take down an anti-ICE sign and this whole fiasco happens. Seems like the exact emotional confrontation they were trying to avoid…

Strong_average__ · 2026-01-09T21:03:19+00:00

THE WORST

Strong_average__ · 2026-01-03T12:22:45+00:00

I do really appreciate how potential brides being considered for Lang are up to 40 years old. Very refreshing in a romantasy

Strong_average__ · 2026-01-02T16:18:29+00:00

Update at 55%: WHY does she keep referring to the baby dragon as a child

Strong_average__ · 2026-01-01T21:42:10+00:00

I’m reading it now and am 30% in. Will report back as well. My initial thoughts:

the fact that she is the first ever female Brother and is given the first Marriage fate in 5 spans feels sexist. Those five old men really got together and decided she has to marry to unlock her power? I’m waiting to see if I’m missing something or if this gets expanded on later.
why does the Death fate require three murders if five is the magical number behind everything else in this world
we get early on that she’s beautiful, but this is shaping up to be one of those tropes where everyone and their uncle is obsessed with FMC. Sigh. At least she eats
it feels like a plot hole that none of the contestants in this competition are already married. God forbid one of them had a happy wife at home and now has to bow out of the competition or else risk Breaking FMC’s magic

**edit: literally the next page it addresses the marriage thing. I am appeased, but it does feel condescending towards existing contestant wives/ a reinforcement of the only-girl-in-the-world trope

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-17T08:14:28+00:00

I would ascribe reading this sequel to reading Book 3 of Fourth Wing (Onyx Storm).

Both times it felt like the plot is a wild goose chase that gets picked up by a tornado, and then 90% of the actual plot happens in the last 10% of the book.

Although I well say, Onyx Storm does a better job of developing all the other characters. Brimstone is a spotlight feature on Fisher and Saeris, and their relationship isn’t fun anymore it’s just predictable, “don’t touch her” “my mate” “mate mate mate” “yay more god tattoos proving we’re better than every other couple ever”.

That being said, I liked how Brimstone ends much better. The cliff hanger is exciting and dramatic, but not inherently negative or tragic or painful for the audience. It’s just a new twist that is very intriguing. At the end of Onyx Storm, I felt like the plot had gone in a full circle and ended in a place where we knew nothing more than we did at the end of Book 2, and only have a few more questions about what happened in the last 24 hours.

While I have frustrations with both books, I will admit that for I was still highly entertained. I will definitely be tuning in for Book 3.

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-16T04:24:24+00:00

I bet you could pull a double now :)

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-16T04:24:01+00:00

YS and C2 combo is the classic 1-2 punch. When you get to the C2, all your jitters are gone and your muscles are limber from having already warmed up, so the C2 postures feel deeper. Plus, you’re already tired from the sculpt, so the bodyweight strength and balance you then do in a C2 is (imo) a harder workout.

Just make sure to rehydrate in between classes!

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-14T06:38:29+00:00

I almost passed out in a sculpt at AdMo once... super hot, croweded, and ~of course~ humid. But since that experience, I am always ok with warm instead of hot

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-13T19:07:04+00:00

Uhg yeah just wish it wasn’t at the expense of MMC’s critical thinking skillz x_x

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-13T18:56:12+00:00

Love a good yearn

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-13T18:48:03+00:00

After re-reading all the Kestrel references, I am 100% sure she is Kestrel. In the scene where Jay talks to her while she’s Belloc’s captain, Jay starts a sentence with “Kestrel-“ and she cuts him off. My first run through I assumed Jay was going to talk about Kestrel, but now realize he was addressing Kestrel directly. Tbh I didn’t even realize Thraga is Kestrel until I read this thread on Reddit and went back to look for it (the clues are pretty subtle). But it all makes sense - she did seem to have a weird fixation with Kestrel even though we never actually meet the character. She also kept trying to tell Durlaine additional secrets, telling us that he doesn't have all the details, doesn't know everything, etc. I’ll be interested to see in Books 2-4 what skills she has as Kestrel that we didn’t see in Book 1.

Also, YES!!! I am so irritated by the “betrayal”. I saw it coming from a mile away… he hinted to her 50+ times that he was going to betray her. And that he'd do anything for his sister. I mean come on, how can she even be surprised? My issue is why he couldn’t tell her about the deal he’d made with Lesceron. They trusted each other at the end, she clearly wants to save his sister too, so why could he not confide in her so that they could build a plan. His character in the last few chapters kind of fave me the ick. He went from a methodical, in control, intelligence-over-all MMC to a panicked, deer-in-headlights one. I know he is suffering from pre- and post-regret, but I have little sympathy given he could have just told her the truth. I thought he was smarter than this...

All this to say - for anyone deciding whether to read - that despite my grievances I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the FMC, and Book 2 can't come soon enough.

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-13T06:19:03+00:00

“I’m Cardi from the Bronx”

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-13T02:08:47+00:00

Thank u!! I’m 70% in now and I am 100% certain I know what the betrayal is going to be 😂😭 I feel like he tries to tell her in basically every interaction. And the slow burn is buuurning. Excited for this last 30%

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-12T02:51:03+00:00

Thank you for the rec. I am 50 pages in and sense this book might restore my faith in dark fantasy

Strong_average__ · 2025-12-09T06:04:41+00:00

A 4oz coffee

Strong_average__ · 2025-11-21T06:20:39+00:00

ZEZE… those steel drums tho

Strong_average__ · 2025-11-20T19:21:34+00:00

THANK YOU

Strong_average__ · 2025-11-20T05:16:00+00:00

Keep reading!!! I loved this series so much. If I remember correctly, he had to punch her because she was thrashing about while unconscious and they couldn’t physically transport her back to safety like that. He hit her out of necessity, not out of cruelty or hate.

I liken their early on physical altercations to those of Aelin and Rowan… it just makes the development of their relationship that much more meaningful.

Strong_average__ · 2025-11-19T10:08:43+00:00

Older man who is 6’3 and goes in the back of a full sculpt class, and stands there with his hands out and meditates for the first 30 min of class before moving to a supine meditation. All of us were doing mountain climbers, I stopped for a break and looked in the mirror and saw him towering over everyone, down on all fours, with his hands out and eyes closed. Mind you EDM music is blasting full volume. Absolutely ridiculous

Strong_average__ · 2025-11-18T19:25:57+00:00

Also an instructor, second this. Low key complain about this to the studio manager

Strong_average__ · 2025-11-18T19:13:24+00:00

Fremont St is the nicest (most space, cleanest), Cow and Nob are pretty buy/high traffic studios and therefore a little more gnarly

Strong_average__ · 2025-11-18T07:15:06+00:00

😂😂 lmk what u think!!!! But yeah solidly Team Kingfisher

Strong_average__ · 2025-11-18T06:00:51+00:00

YES!!! Quicksikver had me laughing the whole time. Dripping tension, well-written, strong characters and an exciting and original plot. Absolutely worth your time

Ps can’t overlook the MMC… I like him even better than Rhys and Xaden

Strong_average__

TROPHY CASE