So many things happen!

Lucy and Darien find themselves in a morally gray area while discussing Eragon chapter 48, “Flight Through the Valley.”

Talking points include a nail-biting rock-paper-scissors game, Saphira weighing in on conflict of the previous chapter, what makes a satisfying twist, Eragon and Saphira learning SCIENCE, Eragon re-learning a magic lesson, and Mordred’s Big Fat Lore Drop.

Spoilers for The Sixth Sense, The Usual Suspects, Bioshock, The Adventure Zone, and The Good Place

Sparks of Inspiration

• Darien shouts out the very cute middle grade series Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega.
• Lucy shares her enjoyment for the BioShock franchise.

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What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Lucy and Darien find themselves in a morally gray area while discussing Eragon chapter 47, “A Clash of Wills.”

Talking points include “chonky boi” chapters, where your bones live, the difference between war horses and running horses, unpacking a little bit of Murtagh’s Trauma, a missed opportunity to clearly examine Eragon’s values, dissecting who in this world are classified as monsters, Darien’s personal approach to crime and punishment, and struggling to find an answer to a morally gray question.

Spoilers for The Adventure Zone: Balance podcast 2:33-8:00

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about decapitation and enslavement, though not beyond what is depicted in the chapter.

Sparks of Inspiration

• Lucy takes inspiration from her friends!
• Darien adores Lucy’s new tattoo!

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Meet Arya!

Darien and Lucy are happy to finally know the elf woman’s name in Eragon chapter 46, “A Path Revealed.”

Talking points include the importance of having your basic needs met in creativity and problem solving, Eragon embracing the true responsibility of being a Rider, the connections between memory and belief as seen in Inside Out 2, Eragon’s poor execution of a good idea, using italics to communicate thoughts in text, frustrating social media interactions with strangers, communicating strangeness of non-human characters without dipping into racist tropes, and Murtaugh’s almost-lore drop.

Sparks of Inspiration

• Darien really loves The Adventure Zone: Suffering Game and strong adaptations.
• Lucy reflects on the value of having a writing routine as inspired by Nora Robert’s The Dragon Heart Legacy.

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How do you get two horses, two humans, and one dragon across a river?

Darien and Lucy continue the journey and discuss Eragon chapter 44, “The Ramr River,” and chapter 45, “The Hadarac Desert.”

Talking points include mountains being very cool, Saphira coming to trust Murtagh, Eragon’s continued “protective” feelings for the elf woman, sandy deserts being very cool, Saphira living her best life in the sun and sand, Eragon and Murtagh living their worst lives in the sun and sand, and referencing the map at the front of the book.

Sparks of Inspiration

Lucy celebrates her favorite streamer, Deebeegeek, and the joy of replaying Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Darien has enjoyed a TON of audiobooks recently thanks to the Libby app!

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Did you know the elf lady is super hot?

Darien and Lucy discuss some uncomfortable implications presented in Eragon chapter 42, “A Warrior and a Healer,” and chapter 43, “Water from Sand.”

Talking points include a critical examination of Eragon’s healing abilities, interrogating the implication of Saphira’s insistence that the elf woman be saved solely because she is an elf, interrogating why physical beauty seems to be the only note-worthy trait of the elf woman, an unexpected comparison to Romeo and Juliet, and the importance of acknowledging that choices have consequences.

Content Warning: This episode contains mention of physical abuse and torture but does not go into detail beyond reading the description in chapter 42.

Spoiler Warning: Listener submissions feature spoilers for Hazbin Hotel, Our Flag Means Death, The Burning Maze, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Bioshock, and Bioshock 2

Sparks of Inspiration

Darien, having finally read Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles, confesses to adding just a lil bit of spice to her WIP.

Lucy gives a sneak peak for the July Patreon Bonus Episode and shares her love for Dragon’s World: A Fantasy Made Real.

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This is the best chapter of the book.

Lucy and Darien embark on a daring rescue/escape mission in Eragon chapter 41, “Fighting Shadows.”

Talking points include deconstructing Sparks of Inspiration to add tools to our creative toolbox, the delightful humor woven throughout the chapter, Murtagh being the ultimate Ride-or-Die, confirmation that the elf woman of Eragon’s dreams is indeed very beautiful, another examination of how much time has passed since the events of the prologue, and Saphira’s impeccable timing.

Sparks of Inspiration

Lucy reflects on all the excellent books she’s read so far this year, highlighting Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg.

Darien shares a geode and talks about her approach to werewolf magic in her WIP.

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Follow Lucy to see what books she’s reading! @zablight

Follow Darien to see updates about the book she’s writing! @dariensmartt

Happy First Anniversary, Eragon and Back Again!

Darien and Lucy take it slower in Eragon chapter 39, “Capture at Gil’ead,” and chapter 40, “Du Sundavar Freohr.”

Talking points include creating suspense with the chapter title, acknowledging that readers should be suspicious that Murtagh might be too good to be true (and immediately refusing to entertain such suspicions), confirmation that the woman of Eragon’s dreams (sigh) is the elf from the prologue, and a begrudging acknowledgment that Brom did a good job of training Eragon.

Sparks of Inspiration

Darien celebrates her friend Erica Ito for being cast as Nessarose in the North America tour of Wicked. Catch a show near you!

Lucy reflects on the valuable of establishing a physical space dedicated to one’s creative pursuits.

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A time for grief.

Lucy and Darien get into some dramatic feelings in Eragon chapter 38, “Diamond Tomb.”

Talking points include the most memorable image from the book, how often chapters begin with Eragon waking up, the weight of forever when navigating grief, Eragon’s dramatic yet understandable emotional responses, Murtagh still being the best, Darien being completely unable to correctly pronounce “Gil’ead,” and a gift that will outlast forever.

Sparks of Inspiration

Lucy and Darien feel their feelings and pay tribute to the end of Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus. Spoilers for the final four chapters 2:37-11:00

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