Empty Netters Podcast - Sci Fi Section: Red Rising Chapters 20-26

Episode Date: August 19, 2026

We are diving deep into Pierce Brown’s world of the Red Rising saga. Join us for Chapters 20-26 of book 1. House mars has it rough and fractures almost instantly. Titus is out of control. Antonia is the worst. And where the hell is Sevro? Of course the big plan goes badly, but if they can outsmart Mustang things might be ok. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:16 - Chapter 20 The House Mars 13:13 - Chapter 21 Our Dominion 23:08 - Chapter 22 The Tribes 32:12 - Chapter 23 Fracture 42:28 - Chapter 24 Titus' War 52:44 - Chapter 25 Tribal War 59:49 - Chapter 26 Mustang 1:12:40 - The Honors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explorers, warriors, magi, intergalactic voyagers, and hell divers. Man your battle stations, draw your swords, and prepare for destiny. This is sci-fi section. A journey where we will be taking you through the epic expeditions of our favorite fantasy and sci-fi stories. The board is set. The pieces are moving. This adventure will be a deep dive. Dive, rigged for deep submergence into the world of red,

Rising. My name is Dan Powers, a wolf pelt on my back, blood under my fingernails, and mud caked across my face, sauntering around in House Minerva, picking olives, and eating June's fresh-baked breadloaves like a gory damn pixie is my golden brother Chris. Wands at the ready, and it's a swish and flick on that subscribe button. Swish and flick, okay? Those who do not believe in magic will never find it, and those who don't subscribe to this channel will never find the for the house. Today we will be talking about chapters 20 through 26 of Red Rising. However, we have read this entire series. There will be spoilers galore. If you venture any further, please do so with the knowledge that you may hear things you wish you hadn't. And now,

we begin. Chapter 20, the house Mars. This is your sling blade, son. It will scrape the earth's veins for you. It will kill pit vipers. Keep it sharp. And if you get stuck in the drills, it will save your life for the price of a limb. So said my uncle. Darrow sits on the cold stone floor as he sobs uncontrollably. He should not have done this, but he was forced to. Just like he was forced to pull little Eos' feet and snap her neck. This is what the society does.

The top 100 students of gold selected just for half of them to kill the other half in a test. Darrow finally slips the ring on his finger and walks into the empty hall. he walks down it as he tries to wash the blood off with the water that drips from the ceiling of the tunnel. Finally, the hall reunites Darrow with the others. He finds Roque first, covered in blood. He didn't think he was capable of killing. Then he sees Antonia. He dreads finding Cassius because now Cassius will have a reason to hate him and want him dead. The students are taken to a room to bathe and clean themselves. They're given clothes with House Mars emblems on them. Darrow sits alone in his thoughts until Roak finds him. Roak explains that this is what Gold does to make sure they don't become soft. Roak's mother is a member of the board of quality control. He hates her and all she stands for. Darrow likes Roque. They enter the dining hall again to find their names over their seats. Most are crying. Severo is eating, the only one with an appetite. Cassius finds Darrow. He looks untouched and he makes jokes, but Darrow knows he's worried. As the seats fill, Julian does not arrive. Cassius sits silently in

fury. Priam is also left behind. Fitchner arrives and gives a speech about the Institute, what it's meant to do. Turn them hard, smart, cunning, and into killers. If they do well, they can gain apprenticeships with the biggest families on Mars and beyond. We find out it's war with the other 12 houses. They're in a valley with 12 castles. Cassius tries to get the others to admit who they killed, but no one takes the bait. And Darrow learns that Titus is to be feared. I totally believe this plot point I'm about to bring up to you here. Okay. I totally believe this. But oh my God, is it? gnarly that literally no one in golden society tells their children what the

passages. It's some of the most impressive shit in the game. Imagine raising children. Like imagine you were an impuriter and you raise this perfect child and you're like, he's going to the institute someday and you go, there is a coin flip chance. Not coin flip because if you're that good, they pair you. But there's a chance that he gets beaten to death on his first day of school and you don't tell him.

You don't warn him. Talk about Cassius and Julian's dad. I mean, like he won the institute. He is an imperator. And it's like, they come in here and Julian is like, what's, what is this? Yeah. Do you know who my father is? And I'm like, okay, Draco.

She will be putting flowers on your gravestone, pal. And it's because they all keep their secrets, dude. Keep your secrets. Dude, and Dan, a mini, mini, spoiler as there will be spoilers as girl, but Cassius's mom does not take well to Julian being dead. So this is another example where I'm like, you'd think the mothers at least. The mothers would go behind the father's back and be like, hey, dude, you're going to have to fight to the death. You're going to have to fight to the death.

Be prepared, be prepared. But this is the society. Yep. And what's so great is that last chapter in the last section, last episode of sci-fi series, we see Darrow killed Julian and we've waited for this. Those are a great break by us. Good planning by the boys. Sometimes we hit it on the head.

But here we are and you just find, I mean, we're trying to break these up like episodes would in a TV series, wink, wink. And the beginning of the next episode being Darrow sitting there covered in blood is You are sitting there going, my God. And what's so great is we're about to get into some shit in this episode, in this section. But right now, this is such an important chapter of seeing all these golds who know all about this world that Darrow doesn't know. Seeing all them crying.

Yeah. Was so sick in the book because you're just like, oh, damn. They were not prepared for this. But then you see Cassius, who's like, got to do what you got to do. And Titus, who was like, loved every bit of that. Cassie's. They get your windpipe, man. Dude, it is deliciously, deliciously awesome that

Pierce chose to have them just leave them in there and then unlock the door. Like Darrow even says, no one comes to get him. He's literally sobbing himself silent. And then when he finally finished his sobbing, he just opens his eyes and Julian's just still there with a cratered in head and he's like, do I have to

sit here all day? Look at what you've done. He's like, oh my God. It's so brutal. There are three quotes right here that I love that just so perfectly positioned what Pierce does right in that moment after the doors open and he leaves and he's walking and it feels like he's walking forever down this hallway just being like where do I go and this is the stuff that makes Pierce so awesome at world building and the vibe that the golds and the society creates they want me lonely mournful so that when I meet the others the winners I will be relieved the murders will bind us and I'll find the company of the winners

a salve to my guilt I do not love my fellow students but I will think I think I do. Yes. I will want their comfort, their reassurances that I am not evil, and they will want the same. So easy to just go, he walks out the door and he enters the dining hall. But instead, there's this awesome moment that Pierce just creates all these moments that show how sick and sadistic, but also well thought out and calculated the society is. And that's the type of shit that you're like, damn. Bro, let me give you this. Talk about Pierce plotting. Yeah. So in killing Julian, the brother of Cassius, the son of the second most powerful man on Mars, who is the arch rival of our main antagonist right now, Nero A. Augustus, is nasty work from

Pierce Brown. And I'll tell you why. Nasty work. Nasty, wasty women, dude. You kill the kid who we, the reader, felt like was about to be one of our best friends. Maybe. Right. You're like, oh, Darrow and Julian, this is fun banter. Realistically, the first gold that Darrow has actively been like, I like this. Yes. So you kill him. And then you, as Darrow points out in his inner thought, give Darrow something to truly fear, Cassius, because he has reason to want me dead, right? And the family who also hates Nero, right? The balona's also hate the Augustus. Yes. So it should be, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I should be boys with the balona. They now also hate you because you just killed their sweet boy. So much of your survival now, might be.

rely on picking the Augustus side of this fight, who is the man you hate more than anyone on earth because he hanged your wife. What a fucking first day at school. Like, that is so good. Talk about a rock and a hard place, pal. That is brutal. You know what I mean? You're like, okay, cool. Here's my best friend at school. And I'm like, psych, he's dead. This family hates you. You're fucked. Like, just like, I'm fucking atom bomb goes off. And it's also so brutal for Darrow that he is dealing with the guilt of killing someone. And he comes out and immediately, instead of being able to go, I want to feel all the things that most of these people are feeling. He also has to look at Cassius.

He would be like, and now I need to make sure that you never find this out. This is brutal. Exactly. But then a perfect quote from Cassius here, is there anything more ugly than self-pity? All this crying. He smirks and points to a girl with a busted nose, and she just became aggressively unpleasant.

Not that she was ever much to sniff at, eh? Hey? Hey, my good man. Cassius is the perfect. All these quotes, I just go, I love this guy. I love him, dude. But he's also terrifying. Because to come out and have that reaction is so opposite of how Darrow is feeling as well as many of the others.

And you're just like, this guy. You got to be careful with this guy. Unbelievable. Another cool reveal from Cassius there is when he goes, he's talking about Julian. And he goes, Cassius's father taught us the silent art cravat. Julian's a prodigy. He says that. I really like that part, dude, because Darrow clocked the elbows coming up in real time.

But it was only Julian's panic that didn't let him settle into his actual fighting stance. But for Darrow in this moment to learn, oh, shit, I was actually fighting a prodigy in this who just couldn't control his fear. But if he had controlled this fear, I'd be dead. And Darrow's like, I'm a mad ape just bashing my head into you is something that Golds don't expect because they're like, okay, ready for the proper fight? I'm about to do a dance. And Darrow's like this, prepare for this part of my skull to go straight through your sternum. And he's like, what? So it's cool because it's like subconscious fear for Darrow like, whoa, there are things I don't understand.

but also subconscious weapon for Darrow going, I can surprise them. Uh-huh. Which I thought was great. But also got to be real careful with that. Also, my favorite part of this section, which sounds really dark, this line, Julian isn't the only one missing. Aria, all curls and dimples, is lying limp on a cold floor somewhere,

and Priam is gone. Perfect Priam, the premiere, air of Mars's moons. I heard he was the first sword in the solar system for his birth year. I love, after that, he goes, this was not expected. someone will die for this. Dude, yeah, yeah. Because it's that is the, and Fichner we will get to,

talks about that. It is really cool how right off the bat, we go, this is our premiere. He was not drafted. And someone killed him. He's dead. And you're kind of like, dude, that's so epic, Dan.

That is so epic for story. Where you go Julian's, I just did the, why Julian's death is so cool for story. Priam also, right in that category, you go he's dead. And isn't it so dope? Because right off,

we have just gotten here. we just have the passage, something has gone wrong. So it's just another cool moment. I'm in the first half of this book and things don't always go as planned for the goals, which Fitchner points out. He's like, listen, shit happened. The tension, one, a really great part about this chapter two, the tension in this chapter, sometimes you know when you get to an incredible part of a book, all readers feel this

when you're just flying. Yeah. And in your eyes even start darting down the page because you just want to know you're jumping ahead. Oh, yeah. This chapter, and there are many like, this in this series. It's almost like the reverse. My eyes are scared to go down to the next line because the tension in this chapter when Cassie's is going, why don't we play a game, friends?

I'm literally like, I don't even want to keep reading. I'm so uncomfortable. Which was awesome. I have a question for you. Where are you at? And this doesn't bottom me. I'm just asking. Where are you at on the Hunger Games comp so far, where you find it it's a war game. You're stuck in this thing. There's 12 districts in Hunger Games. There's 12 castles. And this book is very Hunger Games with a male lead. It is in terms of we have an institute. Well, I don't even consider that. The only thing here, which we haven't even got to, we get to it in the next chapter, really, where it's like, this is a game. That is the only similarity. I personally, I love the Hunger Games, but I like this way more because this is not this, oh, this is so awful and dark. You're thrown

into this with nothing known. I know that there's an element of that with the earlier districts. They're the ones who trained for it. But this is all of the golds love this. They're like, this is how we create society. So I just think this is so much cooler. And to the people that complain, I would say, if it had been school, like, because Darrow goes, oh, I thought this was

going to be, I thought I was going to have to study for shit. If this had been school, you'd get all the Potter complaints. If it was fake war games, you'd get the Enders game complaints. For sure. It was kind of, everyone takes inspiration from each other. I am just a slut for rated R. And it's the reason that some fantasy books

don't match up to Thrones for me because I go, show me fucking, show me killing, show me big scary monsters. You're going to get horny some D later in this episode. Really? Oh, yeah. Oh, you're a pig. Well, with that.

Let me give you my favorite quote. Okay. Well, with that. I'm saying my best killer's brother. It's like, fuck. Fuck. I was like, God, damn. That'll wake you up, as they say.

That'll wake you up. Chapter 21, Our Dominion. I've done dumber things to feed my family. I did dumber things when someone I loved died. I'm sure have, pal. I love your, I love your quote reading voice. It's a little change. The students wake and begin training and running around their manufactured domain of rivers, forests, and mountains.

Their castle is massive, 30 meters high walls and enormous doors. There are animals grazing everywhere. Deer, sheep, snakes, vultures, birds, wolves, howl at night. The group begins to train, and Darrow starts to notice the students who shine above the rest. Cassius, Antonia, Severo, Titus, and his three followers. Roke, Quinn, who is super fast. Fitchner kills a deerling with his razor and instructs them to drag it for supper. Up in the sky, we see an artificial mountain hovering above all the landscape.

It's Olympus, where the Proctor's watched the games unfold. Fichner gives them the lay of the land of their castle. It's fairly exposed except for one river enemies would have to cross. He then begins to make his way for Olympus, but not before telling the group that they need to hunt for their own food and other houses' territories have crops and other things to help them. Then a ship drops into the valley and places a massive table filled with food and other goods, an obvious trap, but the group is starving. Cassius smirks at Darrow and asks if he's up for a race. The two take off and make for the table. They begin to eat before Darrow senses something is up.

Darrow realizes members of House Saris hide in the grass ready to attack. Darrow and Cassius rush them first. They dispatched them easily, and better yet, Darrow gets a sling blade from one of the attackers. But in their victory, Darrow sees how graceful Cassius is in battle. He could kill Darrow easily if he knew it he had a reason. Saris flies on her grab boots to congratulate Fitchner on his students winning the test and says they should have a picnic. Here we listen to the two proctors speak with delight about Orientation Day in the Institute.

They love the theatrics and the trickery. Students from House Saris come on horseback to chase Cassius and Darrow. They barely make it into the woods, and two of Titus' cronies are caught in nets. Saris zaps Titus before he can stomp one of Serius' students to death. Fitchner explains that they're not to kill each other. They're supposed to win. And how do you win? Slaves.

He pulls out a standard and shows them how they're meant to conquer the others. Vital tidbit in here for you, Dan. there's a comment where it's when Fitchner and Sary's are bantering and he says something about they're making, though, so-and-so did this to Jupiter or whatever. It's this. Mercury just let 100,000 rats loose in Jupiter's Citadel. But Jupiter was ready because Diana tattled and arranged the delivery of a thousand cats. Jupiter's boys won't go hungry like last year.

Cats will be as fat as Bacchus. Diana is a harlot, Fitchner declares. Be kind. I was. I sent her a great phallic cake filled with live. I've woodpeckers. You didn't. I did. Fitcher. Dude, these people are fucking nuts.

Derogs, they are deranged. They are deranged. And it's what I said last section. The way that they relish these moments is so cool like Hunger Games, how the high people are just truly deranged. There's one line in there, Dan. Jupiter's boys won't go hungry

like last year. Maybe they did get last last year. That kind of implies. Good point. Maybe. Because he sounds like he's going Jupiter starved to death last year. And I'm like, you know what? Good point. Maybe they did get last. We surmised last episode that Jupiter got to pick first in the draft because they probably won because the goals are sick.

Because this is an unfair system. But now I'm actually thinking they have a parody in this league, the worst place team. It is possible. We need to ask Pierce if Jupiter finished last the year before this. But I am very happy to report that Jupiter went hungry last year. It's amazing. That's a factor. This stuff with Darrow and Cassius early here is awesome because they show us how they are both reckless.

together they are a force when they're when they're fighting back to back uh but cassius is dangerous and we get another observant darrow thing when he he's the one who clocks it right cassie's like what's going on and the sparrow swoops down pulls back up and darrow goes there in the grass he observant darrow is my favorite darrow and we get early doses of that right away right away yeah it's so awesome how so many of the students are unfamiliar with warfare and they're they're not seemingly thrilled about where they've been thrust into. And we see a lot in this section. There are low drafts who are actually cool to follow orders.

It's a weird thing that we come to realize in life. There are a lot of people who are like, I am not a leader and I'm happy to follow. And even in the top 50 people of these gold students, there are plenty of them who are like, yeah, man, I'm out. Like, someone tell me what to do. And the way Cassius just sees all of this, sees a clear trap and smirks and is like,

Darrow, let's go. is the work of Cassius here where it feels very clear that it's like, I think we might need to be afraid of this guy. Yeah. And yet everything he does is so likable is really alarming. It's also, this chapter does a great job of reveals to us without bashing us over the head with it. Some of my favorites, Ceres has crops and bread and horses this year. You know, he's like, you have horses this year? Yeah.

this is not a fair fight, right? It's a game of risk. This continent has this, this continent has that. It's a game of settlers of Catan. You have this element. I have, what does Qatan have? I have ore. You have wheat. Yeah, there's wool and wood and ore. But you know, and this is how no one sits down and goes, it's not fair. This castle has this. This castle has this. You just come out here and you go, oh shit, they have horses. This is Darrow and all of House Mars learning this is not a fair fight. Also, another great reveal here. The proctors manipulate the game. They, and did they manipulate each other? They're pranking each other. They fuck each other. They're part of the game. This Olympus sounds actually incredible, to be honest. It's got to be spring break, brother. But it lasts months.

Like, dude, yeah. It's 10 months. Like, we literally go to Olympus, fucking float around. Does that such a good point, Dan? It's 10 months. Two months of actual work. They sit there, they drink wine, they eat food, they fuck, they scheme. That would be the greatest reality show of all time. And every time there's like a massive moment, they zoom down on grab boots and watch front row seats and then go back up and they go, let's get up to the glass.

Let's get some glass seats for this. It's incredible. It's unreal. At the end here, Fitchner talks about how it goes. He says, we want you to show us your brilliance like Alexander, like Caesar, Napoleon, and Merriwater. We want you to manage an army. Distribute justice. Arrange for provisions of food and armor.

Any fool can stick a blade into another's belly. The school's role is to find the leaders of men, not the killers of men. So the point, you silly little children, is not to kill, but to conquer. And how do you conquer in a game where there are 11 enemy tribes? Take them out one at a time. Titus

answers knowingly. No, ogre. Dumbass, several stinkers to himself. Titus's pack quietly watches the smallest boy in the institute. No threats are snarled. No faces twitch, just a silent promise. It's hard to remember that they are all geniuses. They look too pretty, too

athletic, too cruel to be geniuses. Anyone besides Ogre have a guess, Fitchner asks? No one answers. You make one tribe out of 12, I finally say, by taking slaves. And that sets up how this game will go. And the fact

that Darrow sees it, when no one else does, is on it again, dude. Is not just a, um, Darrow making an observation. It's Darrow seeing it because he was a slave. Of course none of them could see that. They don't, know what it is like to be a slave, whereas Darrow can see it coming a mile.

Which will be such a theme of nearly the whole institute. And Fitchner, I love how Fitchner will just never help Darrow's cause ever. Right after he says that, he's like, oh, looks like someone's going for Primus. And then everyone's like, fuck you, Darrow. And he's like, I didn't do anything. I didn't say anything. And Tan Titus there, this is another example of Titus is a problem. That's a big reveal in this chapter two.

You get the several dumbass line, which you just read. You also get earlier when Titus gets stun gun, basically. Yes. He's fucking thawr. Take he gets a... In the face. Yes. And he pisses himself.

Several laughs. Oh, yeah. These are things that don't... There are slights that Titus will never forget. Ever. I also love the idea I did in that Severo... He could have just Billy Madison, Tim. You know, he could have been like, peeing your pants is cool.

Peeing your pants is cool. He could have pissed. But instead... Severeux his pants there and goes, oh, yeah. Now him and Titus are boys forever. That ain't... That ain't several. But then he goes, you fucking piss baby loser.

Titus is walking. around bragging about how he knocked down a horse or the deer or whatever and several was like this but you remember you peed your pants you people don't forget it's like that was like eight hours ago asshole and several by the way i feel like several pisses himself all the time so i just want you could pee your pants again i'm like dude you could have just pissed yourself and all would have been well it is dumb my two quotes to close is out here one is one is one of my favorite quotes in the entire book. Okay.

Darrow talking about, he's just looking at what's going on here. And it's around that line when he's going, they're all geniuses. I am a sheep wearing wolves clothing in a pack of wolves. Yes. So sick and so correct, by the way. Like, you are literally a sheep pretending to be a wolf around all the wolves. Who will eat you? Like, why are you doing this?

And then the other one, this is fucking, come on. Those poor bastards have crops and orchards. Fitchner muses, you have. He looks over the ledge to find the deer he killed. Well, Goblin here left the deer behind, so you have nothing. The wolves will eat what you do not. Unless we eat the wolves, Severo mutters. Like, oh, dude, come on. Severo has sick thoughts. Yes, dude. Yes. Sick, sick thoughts. God, that fires me up. So, this takes us to chapter 22, the tribes. They have us here because this valley was humanity before gold ruled, fractured. disunited, even in our very own tribe.

They want us to go through the process that our forefathers went through. Step by step, this game will evolve to teach us new lessons. Hierarchies within the game will develop. We'll have reds, golds, coppers. The standard is a one-foot length of iron tipped with a howling wolf and a serpent at its feet. To make slaves, you press the standard to their foreheads. A wolf appears on their forehead until and if another standard is pressed there. In the games, slaves must obey their captor's commands or forever be shamed.

The Mars group makes home in their castle. Darrow consents both Antonia and Cassius want Primus. The leader, the de facto leader. Severo drags a skinned wolf into the castle and shows that he killed it with his bare hands. Cassius declares that they need to decide a de facto leader until someone earns enough merit to be Primus. Titus makes a challenge by insulting Cassius, and in doing so, he groups Darrow in with Cassius. Darrow spins a blade in his hand and forces Titus to back down. In their discussion, Titus makes a claim that he killed Priam in the passage, but Darrow knows

that they would never have paired those two. Antonia plays her part well and drives home the point that the merit system exists for a reason. No one should lead yet. Then the map on the stone wall comes to life. The banners on the castles of House Mars and House Seris are shown. It's clear they need to scout the surrounding area to activate the rest of the map. The game has begun. Darrow with Cassius, Roke, and Leah discuss how the discord will make Mars an easy target.

They need to prepare. Scouting the surrounding area, they find a pack hidden in a small fort with medicine, bandages, and other small supplies like matches. Surely there are more dangerous and powerful tools hidden in the valley. This is war. House Mars begin to form packs. Titus gains followers, as does Antonia. Darrow and Cassius remain together. Cassius and Darrow discuss the threat that Titus poses.

His tribe is growing too large, and he's still. steals from the others and bullies the rest. Cassius suggests they kill him in his sleep. Roke explains to the others that this is a large game of capture the flag. The gold students will find their own version of hierarchy in here. Golds will become coppers, reds, etc. Then across the plane they see Vixus. Titus's right-hand manned dragging a girl from house Ceres by her hair,

their first slave, and Darrow is jealous. This for me, the book has begun. Yes. We are, we are, we are, we are in tribes, there's infighting. We are literally taking slaves already. And you are watching, uh, Vixis, literally dragging a girl back. You're like, oh my God. There's a moment in every Red Rising book, in every good fantasy book, but there's a moment in

every Red Rising book where you go, oh, I can't. I have to now read to the end. And usually it's quite late, of course, because you're reaching the climax of the story. In Red Rising one, dead ass, it's right now. Yeah. Once you get to this chapter and this all this shit begins, you go, oh, fuck, I now have to finish this book. And thankfully, it's not that long of a book, but you have to finish starting right now. Yeah.

Because the motherfucking politicking in this chapter, Dan, the mother, what's that rap song? Now we politicking. There's some rap song where they're politicking. And we are politicking right now. Oh, we're politicking hard. And this, wasn't that always the best part of Thrones really when they get deep in their scheming and they're manipulating? The best part of certain characters. It's certainly the best part of the spider.

and little finger, and that's what makes those characters so awesome. What makes this book so awesome is that these people who are physical specimen are also forced to do that. Some are better than others. But it's everyone in here has to be good at everything. And I love Antonia, who we have no idea where we stand with, is so clearly right off the bat good at using her mind to get people on her side. Yep. Very cool. Taking the wind out of their self.

Because when Cassius suggests a leader, the mere act of him doing that, we are not. now in open mental warfare. We're not an actual warfare yet, but we are literally have opened the hostilities of mental warfare when Cassius does that. Lines are drawn, alliance has formed, momentum is shifting when Darrow's hummingbirding that knife. Yeah. I'm so sick. It's fucking held out of her hands. It's also funny.

It's like sports. When you get, you get alphas from every high school, join in college. And everyone's like, I'm the best player. No, I'm the best. Right off the bat, and Cassie's is like, we need a leader. Of course, most of these people are. gonna be like, suck me, bro. I'm the leader. And that's literally what happens. And it's just such a good scenario, because that's the shit that doesn't exist in Hunger Games, right? Yes.

This is, you have teams drafted together and instantly it's like, who's on whose side. You have 50 people. It's fucking crazy. Yep. This quote, you mentioned this, but, um, who is Priam? Titus laughs. He's trying to get attention back on himself once more. Every gold kid on the planet, new Priam. Now, Titus tries to make clear who killed him. And the others take note. Momentum regained. Except I know Titus didn't kill Priam. They wouldn't put someone like him in with Priam.

They would have put a weakling in there. So Titus is a liar as well as a bully. Yes. The dangerous. Of deduction, deduction, deduction, deduction, deduction. Extrapolating. He always talks about that. Dancer was teaching him to extrapolate.

Think differently. I love that one too, though. Because I think that's not just Darrell. I think a ton of people in that moment are like bullshit, dude. You are a fucking lunatic monster. There's no way Priam would have been matched up with you. Liars are dangerous, bullies are dangerous. Double trouble is the most dangerous.

And then we talk about the politic in this quote, Titus holds gays with him, then glances over at me, grouping me with Cassius. Suddenly Cassius and I form a tribe in everyone's eyes. The paradigm shifts that quickly. Politics. And it's like, yep, that's what this. It's this, there's a perfect chapter of, and we're in it, folks. Yep.

Strap into your fucking Senate seat. Bitch. The, this stand I thought was really cool too in this reread. the as the clicks form right darrow finds that backpack with supplies yeah especially the matches because the whole thing is severo can make fire and if everyone's freaking out they find the matches it is unreal patience from darrow who has not been trained in war games by the way right as much as he can be carved into a freak this is part of his background his upbringing that doesn't help him here it's unreal patience to not use the matches because don't forget later in this chapter as you said titus returns

with a slave. And Darrow immediately expresses jealousy because now Titus has, to quote him, credibility. Darrow could easily have won himself some credibility by going, hey, House Mars, I found matches. But he knows it's more powerful later. So he holds. And it costs him, dude. Do you have any idea how fast I would have failed that test? Same. I would have not, you would have given them to everyone because you are a true dumb bitch. I would have immediately lit a fire and been like, ha ha, I have fire. And then would have been killed. in my sleep. Yeah, you'd be killed. So who's dumber? You. I'm dumber, but I'm, uh, I live longer. No, I live longer. You get killed immediately. No, you get killed immediately because they kill you and

take the matches. I get killed. I get killed. Yeah, which is worse. You agree. I'm just saying, you are, you have tits tattooed your back immediately. You're dead. Correct. So good. Uh, and then, so yeah, just I love the patience there from Darren because that is actually so smart. And, and dude, like we will see, he fumbles that. He fumbles the decision later too, but the patience here, still respect so much. Incoming horny CP, I really appreciate getting love, young love, this early, usually fantasy series take forever to just divvy up the couples and you're Harry's chasing Ginny for six books and blah, blah, blah. I love how pretty much right away, he's like, Cassius is sneaking off with Quinn and Roque and Leah are, everybody banging. And I'm

like, I get it. Because, dude, these are, as you said in episode one, these are godlike sex pots. Oh, yeah. And they are used to pinks at their disposal. So obviously at the institute, they're going to be smashing. Thank you, Pierce, for wasting no time saying they're smashing. Well, I think the most accurate thing about humanity in these books is that essentially this is Olympic Village and they are all fucking. Dude, yes. You're right. And of course they're all fucking here. 100%. And like they're naked half the time. It's like, of course, these kids are going to fuck. No condoms, do you think? Because Olympic Village is flush with condoms. If you think a standard condom could hold gold seed, you're out of your mind. It just ripped right through it. It would turn that

silicone to dust. It needs to be like durose steel. Yes. Yeah. Doro steel. But they probably make those. Because they know, they know what kind of nuts they're shooting. I believe that. And then dude, this, bro. Roke goes, this game is just a microcosm of the solar system. Seems to me like capture the flag with swords, Dero says. He's never played, but Mateo taught him about the game. I fucking love that capture the flag in dirt.

Like, of all the Earth games. Dan, it's a special game. Of all the Earth games, the golds of the solar system are like, you like capture the flag, right? And they're like, of course I like capture the flag. What am I an idiot? What do you think we did at school all the time? Correct. Unbelievable tidbit there.

What a game. What a game. Chapter 23. Fracture. Oh, Vixus, I say with a sigh, keeping the tremble of anger and fear out of my voice. Vixis, Vixis, fixus. There are no boys like me. The house has been divided into four separate tribes.

Antonia has her mid-draft followers. Titus has his high draft and mids, the savages. Darrow and Cassius have their group, and there's one other. In the southern mountains, Darrow and Cassius see Medbots and Proctors flying to aid. Something has happened. Wars are brewing. Darrow teaches his low drafts to hunt and cook. They need to keep their food a secret from Titus for fear of what he would do for it.

They find Titus's men in the woods eating raw deer meat. Roke says they need to give them matches, but Cassius agrees that they can't give Titus more power. The final tribe is Severo. He stalks in his wolfskin and howls at the moon. The only one he doesn't insult is Quinn, and she keeps his secrets of where he sleeps. After days of starving, Titus's men beat Leah for her daily hall of berries and mushrooms. Roke convincese to go to Vixus and Pollux with matches to try and turn them. But when Darrow goes, Titus is there.

They have him cornered and smell wood fire on him. Darrow hits Vixus so hard he cartwheels to the ground. Darrow runs worrying he might have killed him. Now, Civil War is beginning. Oh, yeah. Civil War is beginning. Oh, yeah. It's Vietnam now.

It's Vietnam now. We ramp up and I have another Hunger Games comp for you and I love it in both properties. Okay. In Hunger Games when a tribute is killed and the cannons go off at night, it's such a cool and scary reminder for them, the chaos going around outside of them. You're so focused with Katness and she goes, oh, I survived today. I got away. And then let me tuck into my little hammock. And then it's like, dov, doff, and you're like, oh, fuck.

Three people got fucking literally murdered somewhere on this map. That is so awesome. And early in this chapter, when you get the med bots pouring out of Olympus heading south and a ton of proctors are following them and Cassius and Darrow and us, the reader, go like this, what the fuck is going on down south. That's what I'm saying. You know, it's just such a great tool to go, yo, people losing lives somewhere. I think my favorite part about all of this is, I mean, we're through several chapters of this section.

and we have war going on here. We have Sarius's castle over there, sure. But it's mostly just shit going on within Mars. And it's nuts that there's fucking 10 other houses. 10 other castles somewhere out here in this wherever the fuck we are. And they're like, they probably got their own shit going on. We're over here. It's so cool how big the scope of it all feels.

It's amazing. One of the first examples of Darrow, we've seen Darrow be a leader physically, I would say. And internally, I would say we've seen him be a leader mentally with some of his observations and things like that. But this is one of the first instances where we see him take a leadership role without much resistance. And it's when Leah is being timid about killing the goat, about skinning things. And Thistle is gunning Leah. And when you're first reading it, you're like, what the fuck this will chill. Yeah.

You know? And then Darrow, it says Darrow looks over, gives her a nod. I had this conversation with her 30 minutes before to gun Leah. Yeah. because I need to instigate a fight to toughen them up. And it works. It makes Leah stronger. Yeah.

And this is something where you go, oh, wow, Darrow is actually becoming a general of his little clique, of his little army. But it's also an interesting warning because you see rokes stir uncomfortably when it's happening because he's like, what the fuck? And it's all this internalizing secret communication is a dangerous game. As much as Darrow wants to move the pieces around and pull the puppet strings, it's like, okay, dude, this one worked, but be careful, friendo. It dabbles into, I don't want to say, Stockholm syndrome, but when you become reliant on someone,

they're talking about how Darrow has the matches, so he makes the fires, they hunt, they get deer, they got other things, they get sheep and goats, they kill them and cook them, but everyone sucks at cooking. So they're eating really chewy, spindly meat, and it's kind of sucks, but he even says they eventually start thanking him. Yeah. When they cook, they're all like, thanks, dude. Thanks for getting this food. And it's just, that is the shit that if you're not beating your clans, men, members like Titus is, you form some sort of a bond and trust here. And that's what's pretty

sick about what they're doing. But it is, I hate the part in this where Darrow talks about killing the goat. And he's like, they don't see my hand trembling while I cut its throat. And it's just, again, it's all these moments. Darrow's so dope and he is a killer and he has a ton of rage. But then he kills a goat and he's like, this sucks. Yeah. And I'm like, you made the Syphigetic Sarah Marshall joke. Yeah. It's the same thing. And this is literally that. Julian's a goat. Yeah. Yeah. But it's like he kills, he's like the thing trusts me as I'm holding it and then I cut its fucking throat and it's like oh god they even go in to say how the knives are dull and it makes it even worse and it's like oh my god which is all part of the design right they

walk to get in the psyche of these kids and go you think it's going to be an easy kill no you're going to have to saw through its trachea and feel every second of this as it bleeds out but it's crazy the dynamics we talked about the tribes forming ntonia apparently the sion of a family that owns a sizable asteroid belt gets the middrafters the talkers the whiners the brains the dependents the wimps the snobs and the politicos titus titus draws mostly high drafts or middrafts, the physical specimens, the violent, the fast, the intrepid, the prototypically intelligent, the ambitious, the opportunists, the obvious selection for House Mars. The differences inside make for such cool shit. It's so, so fun.

Yeah. And then you get to that awesome point, the quote you read at the top, when Darrow goes to try to turn Vixus and Pollux. And immediately he's like, why would I ever think these two would come to me because I gave them matches? These guys are with Titus. because they are psychos. And when Vixus is threatening him, before the quote you read, he's talking about the people that he beat and insulted, broken them like twigs and then taken their girls for sport. What embarrassments I've made of them in front of their fathers.

What weeping messes I make of boys like you. Those are the moments where it's like Titus is like this too. Obviously, that's why they follow him. But you love the dynamics in this book. And then at the same time, it is alarming how gnarly it gets, at the drop of a hat. You're like, oh, this book's fun. What the fuck just happened?

It's amazing. There's two great, great things here from a storytelling standpoint. Giving Darrow and Cassius all the low drafts is just so awesome because it's unfair and, well, not even unrealistic, but it's the less compelling story if Darrow goes, I'm the first pick, right?

Cassius, we don't, I don't think we ever hear when Cassius went, but surely he goes, you know, second or something behind Darrow. I was under the impression he's above Darrow. Well, Darrow's housemar's first pick. Oh, it is. Okay. So he's got to be two.

So Cassius goes two. And then if he gets three, four, or five, and six, and that's their click, you go, this story isn't that cool. The fact that it's Darrow and Cassie is probably the first two picks. And then all the bottom, you go, okay, now it's the Bard News Bears. Now it's the Ragtag crew. Yeah. But watching them both manipulate, in a good way sometimes, manipulate those relationships is so awesome.

The, and this is the other thing that I really think is awesome. Darrow isn't always right as a general. I'm so glad he's thrusts into this role. I'm so glad we're watching him try to take the reins. But it's cool when Titus's army is losing their shit because they're eating raw deer out, you know? And Roque goes, hey, dude, they need matches. And Darrow's like, well, that would give Titus more power?

And Roak goes, well, wouldn't a powerful Mars with Titus in charge be better than a weak Mars with you in charge? And Darrow doesn't really have an answer to that. And also, I don't think that Roak is right. But that's, that's, it's like, that's Rokes' opinion. Darrow and Cassius are like, I don't think so. And they're both correct. Yeah.

Because they, that's the beauty of war. And this game is that like, no, dude, a powerful Mars might not be good at all, especially if we all hate this fucking psychopath. Yep. So it's, it's a cool. I like that Darrow pushes back because he's like, no. We don't know that. Yep.

You know, and the facts of the matter is they don't know that. And his instincts prove to be right, really, because the attempt to share goes fucking horribly. I will say Darrow. perhaps a bath before you go over to talk to fucking Titus about giving them when you reek of campfire. Well, may I rebut that by saying no, because as they found, they are getting kidnapped by how Seris when they do try to bathe in the river. So I just need him to roll around and he goes over there with smores stuck to his fingers and he's like this. Hey, what are you with you guys? And they're like this, is that a smore? And he's like, feels like you've been in a fire, pal. Feels like it. He's like,

Do you want some marshmallow? You take the gram. You put the chocolate on the gram. Yeah. And then, bro, when he fights Vixis, I fucking love it because I wish he killed them, dude. It was so awesome. That scene is awesome because they're surrounding him. It's so tense.

And sometimes you have to be the bigger bully, right? Fuck it. Like, let them have it. Yeah. And dead or not, from a story standpoint, this is such a good launching pad because as much fun as we just had in the previous two chapters. They are a lot of politicking, a lot of, you know, stoke in the fire, stoke in the fire, picking teams.

Someone needs to flick the cigarette into gasoline. Yeah. And this is that moment. And it's fucking perfect. Yes. It's fucking perfect. It is great. Do you have any more quotes?

No. This is my last quote. They follow us because Cassius is as charismatic as the sun. And I, in his light, the shadow I cast, looks like it knows what it's doing. It doesn't. It like me was born in a mine. I fucking love that so much, dude. And it reminds me of that Tyrion Lannister quote, we love so much where he talks to John Snow outside. Yeah, the small man. Or no, that's, uh, I mean, he kind of quotes that from, um, the spider. Yeah, it's actually, this is actually just a George comment in a John chapter, but Tyrion opens the

doors to, to Winterfell. And Tyrion's shadow is huge. Yeah, in the light of the doors from great hall in that. The shadow of Tyrion Lys, Lanister stood as tall as a giant. Amazing. I was like, oh my God. All right, that's going to take us to chapter 24, Titus's war. Blood begets blood, begets blood, begets blood. Vixus is alive, but Darrow is on the run.

His tribe comes to his aid as they make a narrow escape. They get to their northern fort and hope Titus and his men will come after them. But Titus is smart. He knows if his tribe sees the fire and food Darrow has, they would abandon him. Instead, Titus' clan makes more attacks on Saris. During one siege, Titus almost makes it back with fire before some serious horsemen come and douse it with water. But in Titus's rage, he upends the horse, taking it for himself along with two slaves. As they watched Titus lasso a Serious girl around the neck and drag her back into enslavement, Cassius assumes it was him who killed Julian.

Titus wages war against Saris again and again. He cuts off a boy's ear in response to laughter. Saris throw down loaves of bread with razors baked into them. It is pure anarchy and mayhem. Finally, on the 20th day, Titus rides to the gates of Saris with four of his slaves. He orders three of them to beat the girl he lassoed with sticks until she's bloodied and unconscious. That night, Titus leaves her bound and gagged in the grass outside Saris' gates. He has a girl from his clan shriek, fake cries of rape and torture.

The next morning, Saris Riders, charged to take action against Titus, and suddenly, halt when they see medbots coming for the girl they just accidentally trampled. Finally, House Seri stops leaving their walls and cuts down any crops outside their gates. Titus has failed and he turns his war inwards. This, what I was talking about is when you're having fun with the book and then it just gets so, you know, and you're like, oh damn, this shit is real. And Titus has gone nuts. Dude, and I'm actually mad at Darrow a little bit in this section because he has such a good

plan. He goes, we're escaping here. Titus is going to bring his crew to me. They're going to see me cooking fat, brisket. I'm smoking a brisket in here. I've been smoked 12 hours smoke boys, pulled pork tomorrow. Everybody strap in and they're going to lose their minds and turn on Titus. We'll starve them out. Titus is so smart. He goes, nope, just we're going to keep rating series and then they'll never know how good Darrow's living. And Darrow's like, fuck, that was smart by Titus. I actually am mad at Darrow that he didn't, dude, I basically would have cooked goat and then been dropping cooked fillets on their doorstep every morning. Even though it's giving them food, I'd be like, this is what we have, dude. Like I would have made him see, made those other people see how

we're living. Dude, I had the same exact thought. I would, honestly, I would have thrown, I know they don't have plates, but I would have thrown a finished plate of food so they could like smell the grease and the fat on it and be like this, we're eating over here. So if you want to leave that lunatic and come over here and not starve to death or eat like a savage animal, come over here. It was such a plan. I had the same thought. He just didn't push it hard enough. Like it might have saved that girl, dude. Throw some scraps, dude. Throw a chewed, cooked bone at their doorstep and be like, hey, dip shits.

How does that taste, dude? Get over here. Dude, felt the exact same way. So good. Cassius thinking Titus killed Julian is also too good, dude. Too good. It makes perfect sense. Dero's behavior makes perfect sense.

No, we shouldn't lie. We shouldn't lie. Everybody lies. Even the wonderful Jerry lies. Nobody should lie, dude. But if you do. do. Sometimes you have been stuck in, you put yourself at a tough spot and whether you should ever not, you told a tough lie and it's going to hurt people's feelings if it comes out. Yeah. When you,

when I imagine most of us on earth have felt that way at some point, when you were feeling that way and a way out presents itself to you, it is like a fucking rescue plane when you were on a deserted island with a flare. Yeah. So Darrow pouncing on this is amazing because he's like, oh my God, this is the, this has been eating a hole in my stomach and now I have a fucking three bee. C.P. This quote and they would give titus someone else i say someone else cassius repeats nodding julian he is thinking he doesn't say it neither do i better to let it fester in his mind let my friend think our enemy killed his brother this is a way out this is a way out is such a because it is nuts how good in these chapters every time julian's name is mentioned in the pit in darrow's stomach grows yeah he's

like fuck me i got to worry about this too it's such a good moment for him and dude if you just if you kill, if you kill, if eventually Cassius kills Titus and goes, great, it's done. Then it's just done. And we're fine. And no one's left to talk, you know? Because Titus won't be able to say, I didn't kill Julian. You know, the proof is dead.

So yeah, just such a good moment there of reminding Darrow but reminding us to like, oh yeah, this is a problem. The gall, the absolute gall of House series, even though it was pretty funny, to toss down bread with razor blades baked around it. Funny? You think that was funny? That was a good move.

That made me laugh. I think it's a great, I don't think it's funny at all. I mean, Darrell, the line says you can hear the screams into the night. Yeah, good. Think about a razor blade, like biting down. You're starving to death. And you bite down onto a razor blade. I don't think that's funny, pal.

You're reading this book too much. What I think is crazy, honestly, the big one for me in this chapter, that's the first. I mean, the trampling is crazy. We'll get into it more. But it's, they're talking about how. brutal life is for Titus's clan right now. Like they're just they're they're not smart. Darrow says like they're shitting and like low latrines. It's not working. He says one of the girls even falls in after emptying her bowels into the water. She flails around in her own waist. It's a scene of comedy,

but laughter has become seldom except from some students of Ceres. Then he says in response to the laughter, Titus drags one of the male slaves up in front of the gate. The slave is a tall one with a long nose and a mischievous smile meant for the ladies. He thinks this is all a game till Titus cuts off one of his ears. Then he cries for his mother like a young child. And Darrow says he will never command warships. Yeah. That edition shows how even Darrow's compassion is like, he's in the game. Yeah, yeah. He's like, well, you're dead now. Dude, which all those proctors are watching you literally cry for your mom. Bro, great. Okay, so two things. One, the reason I said the gall of how Saris is there with the bread stunt is, I'm like,

How about don't poke the bear, fellas? Like, Titus is a fucking psychopath. And you're seeing what he's doing. And, dude, you're fine. Like, you are completely safe. And they're like, what if we had razor prectum? And I'm like, or, or. I go one further, Chris.

Don't laugh at them. When that girl falls in her own shit water, you should go like this. Oh, sorry. You like a towel. Don't worry. We're not going to harm you. But instead, you go, what an idiot. What an idiot in her poop bath.

And you thought that someone's ear wasn't going to get caught off? Are you insane? Don't poke the bear. It is crazy. This, bro, Darrow calls this out. In that scene you talked about when Titus beats the girl, yells the fake rape screams, and then she gets trampled, Darrow calls this out, but if he ever needed a lesson that the proctors aren't going to do shit, unless, mini, spoiler warning, unless that person's very important,

the proctors aren't going to do shit, he gets it here. You are on your own. Darrow watches them bury the girl in the grass, and he hears the screams, and he goes, they're about to come out of there and trample her. Is it anything going to happen? are right there. And they're like this. There's a line here that I almost included where it's Darrow's internal monologue is like, I wonder why they're even here. If you were not going to come help this moment, what the fuck are you going to help for? But it's a good lesson because he's like

nothing. Titus is a is a true evil fuck and they're going to do. They're here for spring break, as you said. They're not here to help. They're here to go fuck each other on Olympus. I am in the same way we both thought, I'm surprised Darrow didn't go to the food earlier to to make him more of an effort. I'm also surprised Titus didn't turn away from Ceres earlier because it was completely fruitless. Like he was having no luck. I don't know if that's a pun, but I genuinely, I think it's just because of the apple trees outside and the small things they're getting. It is worth it. Dude, they're starving to death. That's why I would have turned into Darrow and been like, I know he has fire and food. We just have to kill him.

Like instead of doing this, we need to turn in on Darrow and like, obviously Sirry's Castle would be sick and I'd have an incredible position in tons of slaves. But going after Darrow sooner would have been like, just let's go kill him. Unless he's more scared of Darrow than he admits to his team, which I would believe. Well, first of all, I think they acknowledge you can't kill him. I know that you're thinking Titus will, but you have to know that Titus isn't killing these people because he's like, I don't want to get kicked out. I'm trying to win.

Yeah. So you can't literally kill Darrow. And then I think the answer is, dude, as much as you do need that, it doesn't make sense to dwindle your own army to then go to say, you know, you have to try to get as much as you can first. That's why. Yeah. Okay. And then do you think I know that they go, several can make fire and they Also, don't, don't disregard. There's a part of Titus that is like, I am afraid of them. That's what I was thinking. Clearly, they are eaten well. So they're like stronger than me right now. Like that you definitely have to fear that I don't know that I could take them in a battle,

especially the two of them. And they just have such high. He has all the high picks. I'm like, you can't beat thistle and screw face, which he cannot. But in the moment, he must think that. Dude, so Severo is making fire. I'm not sure how they never say. And I know that they say the rocks aren't sparking. But I can't help but be like, Titus, you are such a moron in this section. I'm like, dude, make fire. How fucking hard is this?

They even talk about that with how they're shitting in the wrong places. He's like, dude, they are not smart. It's like all day he's just trying to come up. Like, instead of, I have an idea, Titus, instead of raiding castle series every day and dying, literally sit at home all day and all of you brainstorm ways to make fire. Like never leave again until you can make fire. That is your only agenda. And then you win. Then you were the king.

And then that scene of him getting one of their torches and them chasing him down on horseback and dumping water on it. And him like, ah! I mean, makes me laugh every stop. Talk about sharp. So good, dude. Sharp by how serious. Everybody. Everybody.

You've got horses. You've got that water. And you know he needs fire desperately. The fact that he's doing the awful things he's doing and they watch him riding back with fire. And they're like, go fucking douse that right now. That was sharp. He needs to sit at home every day with magnifying glasses until he makes fucking fire. Fucking idiot. Do you have any more quotes?

No, take us to Chapter 25. Let's go. Chapter 25, Tribal War. Yeah, God, I love this quote. You have a plan? Cassius says, I nod coldly. Fitchner watches us and grins about gory damn time. So good. So good.

It has been 30 days in the institute and House Mars is falling apart. Eventually, Darrow and Cassius hear screams coming from Titus's towers. Titus is violating one of the girls. he is enslaved. Fitchner arrives and tells Darrow and Cassius that unless Titus starts killing them, the Proctors cannot interfere. Enough is enough. Darrow and Cassius need to fight back. About gory damn time. They make a plan to send a peace offering to Antonia with Quinn, but when Quinn does not return, they know something is wrong. She was intercepted on her way back by Titus's men, and Titus caught off her ear and sent it back. Cassius stormed in to challenge Titus, and his tribe beat him with

shovels and pissed on him. Darrow says they must go along with the plan. and Cassius says that Titus is his. Dude, Cassius, it takes a lot to have Cassius snap. And Titus, Titus beginning his all-you-can-rape buffet is enough. He's like, okay, dude. You, I mean, it is just absolutely abhorrent. I mean, but it's perfect by Pierce.

Like, this guy is an evil fuck. Truly the scum of the earth. And the fact that he then cuts off the ear of the girl Cassius is banging. is like, all right, dude, here I go. And it's a cool moment because, A, it's a stupid move by Cassius, but B, all these things we talk about of liking Cassius, this is a likable moment of Cassius. He's like, dude, strategy be damned, you just cut off Quinn's ear.

I like Quinn. You are an evil piece of shit. I'm going to go fucking beat the shit out of you. Like, this is an honor thing for him. He's like, come fight me, prick. And they put a shovel upside his head. Dude, I only have two talking points from this whole chapter, which is a quicker chapter.

I have two talking points, and they are both pivotal. Here's the first one. And this is Pierce Brown for Seamer at the letters. See if you can hit it fastball. This is a minor one of the major ones you will get in this book and this series, but I just really want to point out it for right here. This is that quote I read at the beginning is one of my favorite parts of the section, right? So he goes, do you have a plan?

Hell yeah, I have a plan. Fitchner going, hell yeah. Go about gory damn time. Let's go, boys. If this was a TV show, Darrow, you have a plan. fuck yes everyone's laughing and they're like only a husband could pitch talking to Antonia like it's it this is like the fun montage scene where they're like here's some cool music and now we're cooking with gas right Quinn's gonna go talk to Antonia and then she'll bring back our

answer yeah yeah the plan doesn't last one page of the book like I just feel so much joy here when Fitchner goes about gory damn time it's like a fun act break here we go yeah it doesn't last one page Quinn is caught her ears cut off Cassius runs out alone gets beat half to death and pissed on. And you're like, is this the plan? Yeah, I did. It's like, Pierce, strap in new readers, re-readers on this journey with us. You already know. When people go, hazzar, we figured it out, you're dead. Like, it is absolute hell unleashes every time. No plan ever works. It certainly never works, as you would guess. I love so many quotes. I have three quotes in here, in this is a short chapter, but I love every one of them. As early morning fades and appetites change with the arrival of warm

Sunshine. Cassius and I hear a sound that makes our skin prickle. Screams. Screams from the high tower of Mars. There are a particular sort, a kind to darken the spirits. That is Titus violating this slave girl. And it's like, again, another moment where we get that fun, all right, like we're, you know, we got to figure shit out here. And Titus, inside your own walls is your biggest enemy. Awful. And then Fitchner, as long as he's not murdering them one by one. It is not our concern. All wounds heal. Even these. That's a lie, I tell him. I'll never be healed of EO. The pain will last forever. Some things do not fade. Some things can never be made right. I love that clapback from Darrow because it is so cool how every time in these moments they're like starving, they're disgusting.

When you see a proctor, it's almost like a shining light of like, oh my God, are you going to help us? Are you going to give us advice? And the fact that Darrow here is getting advice, is getting help. And he's like, fuck you, that's wrong. Yeah. So it just goes to show that even with all the shit, there's times where in this section, Darrow is like, this is war. Even here, though, he's like, well, fucking no, dude, that is wrong. What he's doing is fucking not okay, and we're going to stop it. And Cassius, even though this is like twisted gold talk, he goes, they're not pinks, which again is so racist to pink. So racist. But in the twisted gold upbringing that he has, he means the same thing Darrow means, where he's like, hey, dude,

those are my classmates. And yeah, this is a war game, but you will not rape them. Like, And again, I'm sorry, pinks for all your previous and future struggles. But that is a cool moment. Read your third quote because it leads perfectly into my second talking point. Okay. This is about Cassius as he has been beaten. Somehow the brilliant young man who was arrogant enough to think hundreds of years of Oriette honor and tradition would survive the sickness that has consumed Titus's tribe in only a few weeks.

The imperator's son was wrong. And he is also unused to having his heritage be of such little common. In the real world, he would have been so safe. In this small one, he is not. Dude, the imperative son was wrong. He is unused to having his heritage be of such little consequence. My second talking point is this, and it's an important note about Cassius. We spent a ton of time making fun of Julian in the first few episodes of this series for his comments to Severo on the shuttle.

When Severo calls him a little prick lick and Julian throws a glove at him and several goes, what do you want me to do, wipe my ass with that, he fucking moron. And then again in the passage, when Julian can't quite process what Golds would be willing to do for each other, right? He goes, Darrow, they can't mean. And Darrow's like, I assure you they do. And asking Darrow, Darrow, you don't understand. I'm a balona. Please respect my family.

This is the institute. Guys, this is, this is nom, as you said. It's Vietnam now, okay? Wake the fuck up, Cassius, because in this moment, he reeks of Julian a little bit, where even though Cassius, was boisterous after the passage. You said, you know, he's like, he's the only one coming down from rubbing his hands or his hair. In this moment, Cassius forgets we are at the institute. And I respect him for it because what's happening is wrong. I respect him for it. But he's doing this shit where he goes, my heritage should matter here. I am Cassius Abelona. And Titus is like,

I don't give a fuck. Yeah, dude. I don't give a baker's fuck. Yeah, yeah, exactly. You want to throw your glove at me, dude? I'll fucking jizzing it. It is crazy how many times in this book, in this series, the whole drilling in of honor. Yeah. You know, resurfaces, but it's like, wake up, dude. It does not, it doesn't matter. We have to fucking fight. We are at war.

It's unbelievable. This is the Institute. Yeah. And now, Chapter 26, Mustang. Minervans, proud piggers, let them feel a bit more like house mars. Let them feel rage. Chaos. Strap in because this one is a fucking doozy. Cassius is beaten to a pulp,

but he is alive. They go on with their plan. Cassie admits he was a fool, but now he and Darrow march east around their castle. A girl on a Mustang watches them from across the glen. It's the girl who called Darrow a pixie. Mustang approaches them. They ask what house she's from, but she just assesses them as Cassius makes a feeble attempt at stealing her horse. She's beautiful and smart. Here's horny CP, and she has the upper hand. Darrow figures out that she was a higher draft pick than he was. And with a nice lie about a snake near her horse's hooves, Darrow lunges and almost knocks her off her saddle, but is left with a handful of hair.

Cassius then throws his trident and knocks her off her horse. Darrow curses he might have killed her. As they reach Mustang, Darrow sees her house is Minerva, but also sees the 17 horsemen with stun pikes bounding down on them. He and Cassius dive into the water. Smoke from Mars's castle gives their position away in Mustang, and 15 of her men ride with her to take the castle. But this is Darrow's plan.

As hypothermia is about to set in, the two Minervans standing guard are taken out in the darkness by none other than Severo wearing his wolf pelt. He asked Darrow if he should kill them. Bloody Goblin. Severo says the plan is a go. They want the Minervans to take out Titus but not get their standard. That's when Severo says he stole it and buried it in the woods. Clever Goblin. They ride to find Minerva's castle covered in mud with a plan to steal their standard.

Darrow gets into their common room to find their map and scorch. sheet. They learn that Mustang is called Virginia, and someone named Pax seems a bloody night. Yeah, sure does. He's taken nine slaves himself and caused multiple medbots to come to aid. Darrow destroys their war room and reaps chaos. He finds June, their cook, and knocks her out with a stun pike and takes her as a prisoner. As House Minerva scrambles, thinking all of Mars has come for their castle, Dero and Cassius flee with their horses and are met by Severo with House Minerva's owl standard clutched in his muddy fist. What a chapter, dude.

What a fucking, what a breaking point. What a fucking chapter. Holy hell. Darrow and Cassius finally in the game. Dude, yes. Finally in the game. Let's play some ball. Let's play some ball.

Let's play some ball. Let's play some ball. Let's play some ball. Two unbelievable callbacks. Two unbelievable callbacks in this chapter. Number one, horse girl's back. Mustang. Also, Dan, quick tangent.

The naming in this series deserves a lot. lot of credit. It's all nicknameville, but it's just so fun how it happens. I don't give a shit what it is. We talk all the time about how for some reason fantasy and sci-fi authors are the worst at naming people who have ever lived. Jerking each other off. It's insane. Like, Dune, one of the greatest books ever written. It has a character named Duncan Idaho. And it's like everyone's name in Thrones rhymes. And then like, don't even get me started on the will of the many. You can't pronounce a single one. Correct. Pierce Brown is one of the great namers who has ever. And dude, I admit in this point in the series, you really only met Golds.

Yeah. You met, no, you made a bunch of reds. Yeah. Well, yeah, but this doesn't apply to what I'm about to say. For the people who haven't caught on yet, it took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that the Cassius Aubelona is their color. Like that middle thing is the periodical table of their color. And I was like, oh. Yes.

Yes. Amazing. Makes sense. I am not going to sit here and say that I knew that for a long time. I genuinely, I think I saw some fan art and it like showed it in the periodic table. And I was like, yes. God damn it. Of course.

But dude, it's like Top Gun, dude. It's call signs. Like the way they get their nicknames is so sick. And then you kind of go in the same way Navy pilots, like that goes with you your whole life. Yeah. You know, like they call you, they know your name, Pete Mitchell, but they also like half the people call you Maverick. Like being called Goblin and Thistle and Screwface, Reaper. Like, we haven't even brought up a Reaper.

I was going to say in this section, Darrow with his scythe, the sling blade that he has that he took off of that first Sary Sky. That is huge because that is his weapon of choice. It looks like a sling blade that he has in the minds. And Fitchner, I believe, is the first who calls him a Reaper. He's like, what are you going to do, Reaper? And then everyone's like this. Oh, Reaper. You are the Green Reaper now.

It's so good, bro. It's so good. Okay. So again, Darrow's plan, this is another example, immediately following the quiz, debacle. I guess this is kind of the same plan still. That's all. It's all the big plan. Immediately following this debacle that has gone immediately awry, Cassius

nearly kills Mustang by accident, and now we're treading water for hours. Like, oh, this was about to work. Just kidding. Everything went fucking insane belly up again. But even before that, Darrow, when he goes, it's in his head, he goes, I shift my weight to my toes just to see if Mustang

notices. He's not even going to do anything. And then Mustang immediately backs her horse. Backs up immediately. Dude, smart. smart adversaries to go with smart protagonists. Make the greatest storytelling you can ever do. Will of the Many is one of my favorite examples of this on Earth. And if you haven't

read that, go read that now. It's why Moriarty is the best Sherlock Holmes villain. Smart. Smart. Thanos. Genius. Like, it's so good when we're in Darrow's head and he's like, I shift my weight forward and we're like, yes, Dara's the man. And then Mustang immediately notices the subtle weight shift and is like, fuck you.

Also, every, I mean, I was giving you shit for horny CP. Here comes Horny Dano. Yeah. Virginia is also a perfect character. Virginia, I mean, she is, every line she has is so fucking hot. It's so witty. It's so smart. She knows exactly what they're doing. Her insults are great. Her fucking flowing blonde hair. She's perfect. Sparkles in the sun, damn. She's perfect. Virginia's the greatest female character in any fantasy or sci-fi book ever written and I will die, die on that hill. And you can pull my fucking feet. You can hang me for it. One of my favorite lines. I will because you don't deserve her. One of my favorite lines of the entire series.

because of this, and here's probably the horniest, I'll be all episode. Mustang is a sex, sex, but Cassius manages to shiver out. He's literally, freezing to do that. He's mild. Her hypothermia is setting in, and he's like, she's hottest chival world. Hotscroll. But I love it for him, sex pot is like, she's devious. Like, he's like, oh, she's a hurricane.

That is perfect. But I literally, what I favorite lies in the whole fucking series, that is so good. It is great. The second unbelievable callback, dude, is the Severo reveal. Obviously, if you have, if, obviously, Severo is going to be a player in this story if you've ever read a book in your life. Like, if you read a book, you're like, okay, when Severo disappears, it's not like you're never going to hear from him again, right?

If you know anything. So really, you're spending most of this book just waiting for Pierce to bring him back onto the board. And what's cool, man, is last chapter. Darrow is talking about the four clans or tribes that have formed. And he really only mentions Antonia and Titus. And we're like, oh, and the other one is him. But he doesn't even mention and me and Cassius.

Like he just kind of gets. So you're like, oh, it's him and Cassius. And then you're like, what the fuck is the fourth? Yeah. And then you just get here. Severo and bout, dude, gory damn time. Yeah. They make a plan.

Gory damn time we get Severo. I agree. Because Severo is just, he is Mr. Irrelevant, the last pick. Yeah. And every, every time. he's involved, he's got something to say that's hilarious. My favorite part about him is everyone talks about how small he is. Even here

Darrow's like, God, he's short. The wolf pelt hangs below his knees. But he's also like, no one fucks with him though. Yeah, yeah. I mean, like, this guy's a fucking lunatic. He's out here killing wolves with his bare hands. They're like this, what weapons do you have? And he's like this, born with him. And there's just a blood under his fingernails. And you're like, remember earlier when Quinn, before she was captured, kills the deer and puts hair in her teeth. And she's like, I killed with my teeth.

And then she laughs. And people were like, this, we've got a female several. Yeah, but Severo is not joking. He's like, yeah, I snapped its neck with my mouth. I'm like, oh my God. So, Dan, he finally comes back. It's a perfect. Pierce chooses a perfect moment in the story. Deep enough, but not so deep that I feel out of waste to pull him back.

Not only does Severo save them, but also, hey, morons, your plan is dumb. Also, hey, morons, I stole our standard and buried it. Also, hey, morons, we need to steal their standard. And I already know how to do that, you stupid fucking idiots. Don't forget, it's capture the flag with swords, as Darrow said, right? And then we get this incredible exchange, upon several's return. Did you have this quote too? You can read it. Dude. Yeah, yeah, you can read it. When he goes, we'll take Minerva's standard. Wait, Cassius says, you know how to do that?

Several snorts. What do you think I've been doing this whole time, you silky turd, wanking off in the bushes? Cassius and I look at each other. Kind of, I say. Yeah, actually, Cassius and it's great, because that is a callback, because earlier Cassius is like, he's fucking jerking off in the bush. And that's why it's so good. He's, what you got to have been jerking off and they're like, yeah, that's exactly what he said. But when they get to Minervis Cat, it's also shows how, I mean, Dero, Darrow talks about it. The castle's so different. It's nicer. They have all of trees inside and bread and everything. And they're kind of like, dude, we got fucked. It's not a fair fight. Like I said. It's not a fair fucking fight. And they, it's, it's, it's, it's going to show how not fair it is because they ride up with mud on their faces with the pulse or the fucking, what are, what is the stunt pike? The stun pikes. And they're like, come on in. June is baking. And they're like, come on in. June is baking. Downstairs, please get yourself a plate. And it's like, you fucking idiots have not seen hardship at all.

Dara clocks that too. Oh, yeah, he's like, open the doors. So when they go in and just start burning shit and hacking away, screaming in the, in the hallways and down the stairwells, it is awesome when House Minerva is like, they're everywhere. And the quote, everywhere, too many, dozens, dozens. Mars is here. Mars has come. Smoke spreads, so do their cries. At the first sign of terror, they're like, they're fucking everywhere.

We're going to get out of here. Everybody wrong. Because, dude, it's a game. It's a game to Minerva and plenty of other houses, as we will see. It's a game to them so far. It is literally war to Mars. Absolutely. And war to some other ones.

And like Virginia is smart, but these Minervans have not seen war yet. You pointed this out in a few apps earlier, but they're 16, right? I just love bosom butthead. I'm like, grow up, dude. Like literally, they're like, what's the password? He's like, poker face. That's pretty, pretty good. It's unguessable.

You're talking about his head is a butt, but it's also the shape of boobs. Yeah. That's a pretty good. I think bosoms look like butts. They do. So I think they're like bosom butt, bosom butt head. We can't decide which one. You're a butt head, but you're a bosom head.

But maybe it's both. Yeah, I think it is. Maybe it's like butt head. That would hurt me. Yeah. Oh, it would be insulting. I'm just saying I can't believe that's their password. Also, this is prime.

We're going to start doing the Red Rising lingo again. I can already tell. they have nearly died, right? Their plan has gone fucked to hell twice. Hits up and- almost get hypothermia. Has been the butt of it twice because one time he was nearly beaten to death

and the next time he has mild hypothermia. They sneak into the castle, bosom butt head, thank you. They go inside and there are two girls with tea, walking, or with warm milk, I think they say, walking by, and they're hot. And Cassius,

Casillas makes a look at Darrow. And then pretends, pretends to go up the stairs with them. Yeah. He's like this. Dair, hey, down. It's literally Will Ferrell in, down, down.

He's like, can you just fucking focus for five seconds? You just got hot again, dude. He's like, down, do it. No, his eye is still swollen shut. He can't even see them, dude. Cazius. What are you fucking doing,

bro? Focus, focus. And then, dude, do you have any more quotes? Because I want to end with this. The plane. man, dude, is fucking perfect. They instill panic. They carve Mars.

Darrow even says, I almost did it to some, I almost carved a different house, but I want them to fucking know it was me. I want you to look at it and know it was me. They carve Mars into everything. They steal the cook. And when they escape out back, Severo is waiting for them just like they planned to steal the standard. Dan, this ending of this chapter is why we play.

This is why we lift all those weights. This is why to read all those books. When it says this, we ride under the starry night. back to our battle torn highlands, the three of us laughing, cheering, howling. Yes. This is why we fucking read. And also, CP, this is why we said we are making every section of this like it were a TV show. Wink, wink, wink.

This is why we play! Perfect end. Oh, my God. So now we get into our sci-fi section honors. Why don't you begin with the scrolls of Tyrion and Lanister. The Scrolls of Tyrion Lanister given to the character who provided the most impactful words, I have a feeling this won't be the last time

this person gets this award due to his nickname Roque What's Roak's last name? Can you recall? I think it is Roak. Oh, oh.

No, I don't know. Look that up. I got it, I got it. Roke awe something, the poet. Roke al-Fabai. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The poet. Do you have any flag

that you really loved and while you look? Well, what's so great is a lot of Rokes' quotes are quotes themselves. from poets of our time. One of my favorite is this. And violent hearts set harshest flame is a great one.

The blood begets blood, begets blood is Roque. I believe he's quoting Lorne there too, which is even more epic. He is just so wise at all times and compassionate. And compassionate. That's why we gave it to him in this section because there are some awesome lines and there are some awesome Cassius lines. I read you one. Cassius should have won for the Mustang as a sex pot line alone.

Yeah. But Roak provides content. text we don't often see with golds in this book. That's why I really like the Roque quotes. I'll go back to the tightest example. Right away, Roque is the one going, hey dude, we need to give them fire because we are golds and this is a game, but they're going to get sick. Like they're eating raw, deer, and we have matches. We have a responsibility to put House Mars first before Darrow first. Things like that help ground us, the reader, help ground Darrow and help early days in this story show us that there is maybe, just maybe another side to gold. And you have brought up the line earlier.

Roke's mom is on the board. He does not agree with these rules, but he follows them with hope to change them someday. Darrow even finds inspiration in that. I know that's an internal Darrow thought, but I accredit it to Roke just going, hey, dude, Roke sees the big picture in a lot of ways and understands golds aren't perfect in maybe a way Cassius just goes, yeah, we are. Very insightful stuff from Roke. All-timer. All-timer. Dobby the house elf. This honor is given to the character who is the unsung hero providing aid behind the scenes. This could have been a couple people, but we've gone with Fitchner.

I know a lot of people want to hate the proctors, but Fichner, for all of his insults and for all of his insanity with the other proctors, he does give them good advice. He does help. And for me, the biggest one here amidst the this is war, you think we're going to step in, If you're not killing each other, everything is going to play out. So prepare for that. He tells them how they're at a disadvantage. I believe he even says those things to Seris.

When he's like, you have horses, this is unfair. He's doing it in front of his students to be like, hey, listen, listen, I am helping you. You are at a disadvantage. Stop thinking that this is a fair game. He does all of that intentionally to keep his students prepared, specifically Darrow and Cassius and Roke and that crew. And then when he says the line about gory damn time, it to me is showing us that he's like, I am rooting for you. I can't outright root for you.

I can't outright help you. But I am on your fucking team. Listen to my words. Heed my words. And I think Fitchner, for all of the reasons we could hate him for being a gold, for being a proctor, for seemingly not caring, I think he does a good job of being like, I am helping you if you pay attention. And I also will always just appreciate how he's kind of fat.

Every gold on earth is the hottest person ever. And Fitchner always has his hand on his palm. He's kind of fat. And I'll add more one piece of context to that, which you just described, Dan, with Fichner. And, you know, semi-spoiler, because you'll see this in the future. Yeah. Fichner comes down there and the second he lands, Cassius, goes, what the fuck is going on? This is bullshit.

You can't let him rape people like that. And Fitchner goes, then stop him from raping people. And then Darrow goes, I have a plan and we have our cool line. What do you think Fitchner came down there for? Why did he come down to talk to you before you ripped his head off? Exactly. You know what I mean? take that one step further and go maybe what was he doing and before Darrow had his plan.

And then Fishner goes about gory damn time. So he didn't have to do anything. But I imagine he was there to push the scales until you had cracked it yourself. No doubt. The next honor, the way of the Benad Jeserite, given to the character who cannot be trusted or shows outright devious nature. How about given to the character who is a complete fuckhead who is one of the meanest people I have ever had the displeasure of reading about, Titus? I mean, he's just pure evil. Titus does not have a single redeeming quality. He is an actual

lunatic ogre. The problem is he is, they're all geniuses as Darrow pointed out, but Titus is he's rage. He's rage. He's rage. He's rage. He's controlled by rage. He is evil and he is not dumb by any means, but

he is, he doesn't he can't see the full picture. So he reacts, he's too reactionary. the things he's doing are manipulative and smart, the way he gets the series girl trampled, genius plan, genius, genius, genius plan. But it just comes from such a sick place. What is the point here?

You wanted her to die? And they never really say, but in my interpretation of that scene is like, she's dead. Like they, that bought her up and I'm like, dude. At the very least, she's in real trouble. Yeah. And I'm like, dude, for what? She's going to need a new carbon.

Yeah. Do you, yeah, Mickey. Hey, Mickey? We got a issue. Yeah. We don't that is going to gain him nothing. It's not like if they trample her to death, they go like this. Oh, Titus, well played, we'll open the gates.

Like literally, what is that for, dude? His goals are just fucking terrorism. Yeah. I want to help Mars. I want to help my people. You're right. Listen, he's trying to win, but at what cost? That is the big thing for me is he, every step he takes, it's crazy how much his rage blinds him

to the fact that even if you win, even if you get a little bit further, you are betraying everything. And everyone behind you is terrified of you or hates you, but he doesn't care. And that's why he is so scary, reckless, and cannot be trusted. Yep. It's brutal. No, it's unreal, dude. Finally, the sword, axe, and bow honor given to the character deemed to have earned our loyalty, belief, and trust above all. Several. The goblin. The goblin. it is a no-brainer in this section that it's severo because severo here in my opinion in this section does everything right with the exception of one moment which i will point out for okay but severo just knows if you go back to his intro on the shuttle severo just knows things he knows how this all

works he knows that the prim and proper honor doesn't mean shit from this point on he knows how to survive He knows how to use his size and his insanity to his advantage. And he shows little signs of compassion like with Quinn. Like when he comes in and he's insulting everyone, but he is nice to Quinn. And Quinn, because of that, keeps his secrets, knows where he sleeps and what he's doing? And people are like, where is he? He's definitely eating. He definitely has fire.

Where is he? And she's like, I'm not telling you guys. That is because he is good. And he is doing something right. Obviously, at the end, comes in with the greatest fucking. assist of all time literally gets them everything they need frankly he saves their lives he is buried their standard to protect house mars he comes up with the plan to get minerva's standard he's just a weapon in this section but my favorite part of the section is when he looks to darrow and goes should i kill them

oh dude yes i'm so glad you brought this out it's just so it's honestly it's kind of different but it's like in the girl with the dragon tattoo when leisabeth saves mikhail and and goes, may I kill him? And he's like, yeah, go ahead. Yeah, yeah. But it's like, you are clearly so capable on your own. But that is the first moment where it looks like he has an inkling to be like, Darrow, I like you.

Yes. And I will follow you. Because he literally asks him for permission. And Darrow's like, no. Like, why would you kill him? And he's like, I don't know. Like, should we? And this is the honor is described perfectly in this case has earned our loyalty,

belief, and trust because Mars is decidedly enforced. tribes. Yes. Severo is his own tribe. He has nothing. They have done nothing for him. I guess you could argue Quinn is in the Darrow tribe and she's nice to him. But essentially, they have not helped Severo.

No. He owes them nothing. And clearly doesn't need them. He doesn't need them. Other than looking at the bigger picture, which is another element of, Severo is wise. He gets the fucking game. Frankly, better than anyone at this point, including Darrow. And has been monitoring.

It's not like, and not only is he scouting Minerva already. What have I been doing? Wanking off in the bushes. No, I'm scouting Minerva. He's also scouting in the bushes. internally. He knows exactly who to side with because he knows what's been going on. He sees everything and everything. But this man deserves our loyalty trust and belief because he put his in us. So he deserves it back. Absolutely. The one thing that I really enjoy because it shows, as we talk about all the time,

these characters can't be perfect. When right off the bat, Fitchner kills that deer and he goes, you guys have, well, nothing because the goblin didn't fucking bring the deer. I like how he's quick to clap against Fitchner and be like, fuck you, idiot. But that was a moment where Fitchner was like, I told you to drag that deer so you could eat. Now you can't. Remember several goes, you could have killed it closer to the castle. He was like, shut the fuck up.

Yes. And he doesn't drag it to be like, I'm going to revolt. But then he's like, well, now you don't have food. Yeah. And the wolves are going to eat it. Yeah. I like that moment because it is a small thing of showing, well, you're not always on it, dude.

Yeah, yeah. And clearly, he learned from that. Yep. Because then he said, unless we eat the wolves, he then did eat a wolf and then wore his skin as a as a suit. Correct. And then saved the motherfucking day like he will many times. Unbelievable.

As we'll continue to happen with this book, the best section yet. Unbelievable. Cannot wait for the next one. Keep reading along. And biggest of all, keep spreading this out. Send this to all of your fantasy and sci-fi friends. Send it to your Red Rising friends. Let's grow the howlers.

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