episode 3

In this transcription, the hosts of a podcast discuss their reading preferences and then move on to summarizing the book "The Assassin's Blade." They discuss the setting of the book, the character development, and the importance of friendship in the story. The hosts also share a quote from Harper Lee and reflect on the deeper meaning behind it. Overall, they find the book to be an interesting and enjoyable read. All righty, well, let's put a bookmark in it so I can welcome you to the Fiction Corner. I am your host, Brenna, and as before, we have our co-host, Marissa, on here with us as well. Hey, guys. How's it going? Thanks, Brenna, for having me again. Forcibly. Forcibly. All righty. So we are actually recording this on Easter, so happy belated Easter to those who listen on Tuesday and everything, and thanks again for joining us for round three. We're making our way through The Assassin's Blade, and for this week, we read The Assassin in the Desert. Before we get into that and go through everything, though, the debate topic that we picked for our week is, if you could read anywhere, where would you prefer to read and why? Marissa, go ahead. Yeah, so I'd probably just prefer to read in my own house, because that's where I'm most comfortable, so probably just on my couch under a blanket. We do have a fireplace, so probably having that on would, you know, up the coziness level. If I had to be dramatic and pick a mood, I would definitely say there'd be a thunderstorm happening outside. Yes. Obviously, that would be, you know, just super fun, especially for these fantasy books. What about you? Where would you read? Oh, that's a tough one. So I'm definitely not a beach reader. I just, I never have been, but I'm also not a beachy person, so I think that just kind of rules that out. Outside of reading at home, obviously, that's the most cuddly place. I think I had mentioned this on our Instagram page, but I would pick cuddled up in a cabin in the woods where I know no one's going to murder me. I agree with Marissa. Ideal. Yes, exactly. Try and stay alive for the book, but definitely with a blanket. I would have a cup of hot tea, but I never seem to actually drink it or finish it, so it just kind of sits there for aesthetic purposes. And then I agree with the thunderstorm. Thunderstorms definitely help with the overall fantasy feel of reading, so I support that too. Yeah. I don't know if you ever watch any of those, like, ASMR YouTube videos, but there's a lot of them out there that have, like, thunderstorms or, like, kind of, like, nice, like, fun music with, like, a cute little cozy coffee shop kind of background. Oh, yeah. I use those to study, too. Yeah. So, yeah, that's sometimes I'll put that on if I'm, like, if it's, like, sunny outside and I'm, like, I mean, this isn't just, like, the reading vibe, and I'll stick that on the TV. Oh, I love it. I love it. Oh, no, I agree. Rainy weather is just, it's so much more book-friendly to me. Obviously, you can read in any weather, but, yeah, it's something about the rain and the thunderstorm that makes you just want to curl up with a good book. The quote that I had for this week is from Harper Lee, who I'm sure everyone knows from To Kill a Mockingbird, either reading it on your own or probably being forced to read it in school and then reading it again on your own potentially later in life. I personally love her work. I think it's really brilliant. I went and saw one of her book made into a play last year, and I thought it was really, really good. But the quote that she wrote was, until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing. And I thought this one was really interesting. I had to read it a couple times before I was like, okay, I get it. And I also think it's interesting because this has always been a trend throughout time in general that books get banned, and because of that, you learn to appreciate them more. But thinking if it has the ability to be lost and you fear that, then you understand how much you appreciate it and how much you truly enjoy something. Yeah, it's really deep inside. I like her quotes in general. She's just a very tactful person. I think one of my favorite quotes from her is actually better to not say anything and be considered ignorant or open your mouth and prove it's right or something like that. But it's really good just saying like, hey, sometimes just don't say anything. Let people kind of assume what they will verse, you know, opening your mouth and prove them right or wrong about something. But on to, you know, what we're actually here to talk about and dive into. First off, because I have a delightful little sister, like many other people do in the world. Right after we released Episode 2, she immediately wrote to me and said, hey, you pronounced someone's name wrong, which I have warned everyone time and time again, it was going to happen. So surprised. Yes, exactly. So you're welcome for not lying to you. We mispronounced Irene's name. I think I said you're in or yeah, I think I said multiple. Yeah, I definitely said that too. There are many different versions of the wrong name. So I apologize. Don't worry. It's going to happen again. Bye. So the section that we read for this week was the Assassin in the Desert. The general background to this was, as you know, from the first two sections, Selina had disobeyed her master, Erebon, and helped free a group of slaves. This led to a significant loss of money for, like I said, her master and penalty for herself and Sam, who helped her in this endeavor. And that was the first novella. The second was her journey to start crossing the desert and meeting the healer, Irene. And then this was her finishing that journey to actually get to the desert and meet the silent master, the mute master, and start her training. And the whole purpose behind this was that she required kind of a letter of approval from him and had to gain it within a month. And we kind of thought that this was extremely difficult to accomplish, that he very rarely actually trained anyone himself. But yeah, Marisa, you want to dive in first? Yeah, sure. Yeah. No, I, as the first two sections, I like the section two. It definitely moves a little bit slower, but I kind of like that. First thing I love about it is that it's set in the desert. I think that's really cool. It's also really cool that all of the novellas have been kind of in a completely different setting, which makes the story, I think, all that more interesting. Yeah. It started with basically a Caribbean scene right next to the waters, the ocean. Then we were in this kind of sketchy city almost area, and then we moved to the desert. So it's kind of gone all over the place, but I kind of like that. It really breaks it up, creates kind of more of an interesting setting. And I don't know about you, but I just recently watched Dune Part Two, so I'm all about the desert currently. I love it. Yeah, so I thought that was cool. So yeah, I definitely think that this whole section was just way more relaxed, kind of more friendly in a way. You know, Selena meets some different people, and she doesn't expect to become friends with anyone, really. And then she does. And I think that's kind of fun, just because it seems like her Assassin's Guild is so violent and so strict. When she comes here, she's like, wait, you guys are all having a good time? Yeah, they're like buddies and friends and family. Yeah, it's a very interesting contrast. The training is still intense, but it's just a much better environment, more mentally friendly. The Master actually cares about, like, his, you know, trainees, which is something that it seems like Erebin doesn't. And then also just like the importance of friendship, too. I think Selena, you know, gaining friendships, I think that was like something she didn't expect to want or need. And she kind of realizes, oh, this is actually really nice to have someone I can kind of have fun with and confide in. You know, so I thought it was like really nice, kind of this just kind of like nice story and, you know, gives her a break from like kind of the cruel life she kind of leads. Yeah, no, I completely agree. I thought it was a very nice contrast. And she brought it up quite a few times that, you know, what she was used to was they weren't necessarily like they were still a family is, I guess, the best term, but it was this very dysfunctional family, this very aggressive family that they kind of bought and traded loyalties that Erebin never truly showed like kindness, I want to say to her, that it was like, oh, I'm going to give you gifts. But then, like you said, coming to this other Assassin's Guild, it was completely different that, yes, everyone could still completely murder you and have a, you know, grand old time, but that they had these balls or, you know, the dance was a big one. But they trained each other. They wanted to see other people successful and do well at what they did and that they worked very well as a unit. Whereas Selena constantly talks about how, oh, this person's on their mission, this person's on their mission compared to all of these people are working together to, you know, fight off the king that keeps coming for them and all of that kind of stuff, which I thought was very, very interesting. And then I think that the biggest concept for this one was definitely that friendship aspect that I definitely kind of felt like a 16-year-old again, but, you know, Selena likes getting admired by Ilios and she likes to start making these friends and having a best friend and, you know, they're doing stuff together and poking fun at each other and stealing horses together and just being very, you know, childlike or childish. And I thought that was very interesting to see that though she hasn't had it before and doesn't think she wants it, that she does, in fact, crave that connection with other people. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. And especially since they are so young, like, they don't have, like, traditional, like, childhoods. So it's like kind of like that is kind of like, you know, kind of bringing her back to maybe, you know, some sense of, like, a normal childhood that she may have had had she not joined, like, the Assassin's Guild, like befriending other people and kind of acting out in a way. So I thought that was kind of nice. Yeah. No, I agree. So then the big, the big upset of this, this section is Ansel. You know, it's this roommate that she meets and they bond pretty quickly that, you know, they have these horrible workouts together and they, you know, steal a horse together and then get punished together. And you just see this very, I don't know what the best word is, a very nice bond kind of form between them, this nice friendship for two, you know, 16, 17-year-old girls. And you see Ansel, you know, start to open up to Selina and tell her her past, which is just absolutely mortifying and realizing, oh, she hasn't told anyone else in this guild this, you know, true past about herself and she's kind of kept it to herself. And I, I kept going back and forth, like, is there something more that I need to be picking up with her? And I really didn't. I kind of just brushed it aside. I kind of knew, you know, something was going to happen. But I didn't really start suspecting Ansel until, you know, kind of when Selina did. Then it was too late at that point. Yeah. I thought that was crazy, too, when she ended up betraying her, like, and the rest of the guild. I was like, I was actually kind of shocked by that. I was like, oh, wait, no, I thought you guys were going to be like friends for life and Selina was going to leave and then they were going to keep in touch and, you know, and whatever. But yeah, no, I was, I was shocked by that. And yeah, I was, that was sad because obviously this was like Selina's first true girlfriend and she turns out to be evil. And you're like, oh, man, this girl can't catch a break. I have to ask, did you suspect it was her, like, before or after she opened the envelope? Like, I thought, and this is going to be terrible, I thought the Mute Master, like, literally did just give her a blank, like, card. Me too. Me too. I thought there was something weird going on with him. Yeah. I didn't think it was anything to do with Ansel. I did think that, like, after, after reading that and then kind of going back to the scene where she poisons her, like, that seemed pretty rushed. Like, oh, yeah, yeah, I forgive you. Like, I said wrong things to you, blah, blah, blah. And then she, like, passes out. Right. So that was, like, really rushed. So then going back into that, I was like, OK, well, she was just trying to, like, move along kind of thing. And, you know, get her scheme going. But, yeah, initially when I read it, I didn't, like, suspect her at all. Yeah. But, and I definitely feel bad because she obviously had some degree of caring towards Selena, which then I felt even worse when Mikala, Mikail, I told you I was going to mess up this name before we even started. Mikail. Mikail. I'll get it. I'll get it. I felt terrible for him. Obviously, I feel terrible that he's now dead. That, you know, sucks in and of itself. But, like, you know, he seemed to be the one who realized it first and came after Ansel. Ansel completely just kills him. And I just found it so interesting that this is someone who she's had, quote unquote, a deep relationship with for years and never opens up to him, never gives any indication. You know, doesn't try and protect him in any way. But Selena, who she's known for not even a month at this point, she has this bond with that she feels like she needs to protect her. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting. And, you know, I don't know if it's just, like, the maybe she feels like Selena has had a similar past, even though Selena hasn't fully opened up to her about that. Like, maybe she just feels that, like, kinship with her. Yeah. It's kind of crazy that Ansel's hatred goes so deep to pretty much like, you know, completely blindside all these people that she's essentially kind of grown up with. And they've taken her in and, you know, gave her a good life. And then she, you know, kills her, you know, her partner. Like, that was wild. Yeah. You know, clearly she is kind of a broken human, which is sad. Yeah. Which I thought that was super interesting at the end that the Mute Master decided he wasn't going to tell the rest of the guild who really was behind this. Like, what actually happened? And I couldn't decide how I felt about that. Like, you know, are you protecting them or keeping them in the dark? And yeah, I couldn't decide how I felt about that. Like, would I want to know someone who I considered a friend, a family, had just betrayed and gotten my other family killed? And then I'm, you know, suspicious about everyone or think that something happened to them. And it's kind of a more of a closed door situation. Yeah. I don't know if he's just kind of protecting her reputation because he felt bad for her and, like, felt bad for everything that she went through. And just the fact that, you know, he suspected that she was so, like, angry still too. And maybe he just didn't want to make it worse by, like, you know, having all these other assassins pissed off at her and potentially going after her. Yeah. You know, maybe he just wanted to let her leave and maybe heal on her own kind of thing. And be done with it. Yeah. Now that's a good point. But the big things that, you know, I kind of wrote down for following this novella was for both Ansel and Selena, I'm definitely curious. Obviously, we've seen how Ansel has changed. You know, is she going to try and be repentant in some way or be trying to become a better person? Or is she kind of crossed that line? And then for Selena, is this going to harden her or make her more untrustworthy of the people she is starting to bond with? Like, we've seen, you know, she's starting to bond with Sam. Is that going to put a crack there as well as any future trust that she might have? Yeah, that's interesting because I want to say no, and I hope not, at least. Just because it seems like, you know, she was comparing a lot of things to her and Sam's relationship, too. And I think, you know, towards the end of this section, too, she was definitely bringing him up a lot more. Like, that's not the case, because she was, like, thinking about him and thinking about their friendship a little bit more. So, like, I definitely think her and Ansel's friendship made her really, like, evaluate her friendship with Sam and, like, her wanting it to be something more. So I would hope that it wouldn't taint that. But yeah, I'm curious to see. I'm curious to see if we hear more from Ansel in the later books, too. Yeah. Especially since, you know, I guess only Ansel and Selena know this, but Selena did end up sparing her life multiple times that, you know, she had the chance to cut her head off and gave her back the sword, which I was like, oh, that is ballsy on you, girl. And then threatening, hey, I'm going to give you 20 minutes. If you're not out of range, I am going to kill you. And it specifically says, hey, she gave her 21 minutes to get away, which even just a couple seconds before that, she would have killed her. And I like that, too, because I think that shows that she, even though everything that Ansel has done and betrayed her, like, she still does have some sort of, like, you know, have feelings for her, you know, friendship-wise, like, and is not completely like, you know, I don't want anything to do with you anymore, kind of thing. Otherwise she would have, like, killed her, right? There is still some sort of bond between them and some sort of trust between them where, you know, maybe she didn't like the actions that, you know, played out, but she still does, you know, like her as a friend, I think, in some way. Yeah. And I think that's definitely a relatable aspect because I think that happens in every friendship. You're not going to agree with someone 100 percent of the time. Right. And so then deciding, you know, I felt terrible. Is that disagreement worth keeping a friendship over or, you know, kind of part ways? So and I think for Selena, it was obviously her life was on the line. So I think it's definitely a little bit more than what most people experience. But deciding, you know, that that friendship or what was left of it was definitely worth salvaging in some way. So letting her keep her life or spare her life, I definitely thought was important. But kind of shifting that. And something else. Oh, go ahead. Sorry. Just something else that I thought about, too, just in general about this section, too, is that this is supposed to be a punishment for Selena. And I was curious, like, was it really a punishment? I know, like, this whole thing with Ansel happened, but this was kind of like that was kind of out of the blue. It's curious to me, like, like if Aravin, like, thinks that all of the Assassins Guild, like all the different assassin groups out there are all like his in terms of training and, you know, treatment. And he just doesn't know that, oh, there's these assassin groups that are like way, like nicer to be a part of. I'm not really sure. I don't really. So I'm curious if they bring that up later as to why this was her punishment and why he chose this or he just did it as like, I just don't want to even see you anymore. Like, go somewhere else for a month. I need to cool off kind of thing. That's a good point, because we don't know Sam's punishment at this point either. You know, what, what was his compared to Selena's? Like, is it based off of their personalities? Like, oh, Selena wants to be in, you know, back home with her nice clothes and her nice, you know, stuff. And so it's more punishment for her to be sent away. But like you said, it ends up for her not being a punishment that she discovers a lot of really nice things. All right. So my next kind of two questions go together. My next two questions go together for Ansel in particular, kind of trying to look at this through her eyes. You know, obviously she's been through this horrific thing. She had to watch her family get murdered. And I'm sure there's a lot of guilt that she feels because she hid and just watched this happen. That, you know, is it almost better to step out and try and defend your family but perish with them first, trying to stay alive and kind of living with that? And so, you know, she's trying to raise this army for herself to go back and avenge her family. And so does the end justify the means? You know, she has to kill all these people to avenge her family. Are all those, you know, deaths and the body she's left in her wake worth it? And I think for her, she thinks it is. But I just, yeah. Yeah, I think that's like something like that. The master, the silent master kind of brings up at the end that he's like sad for her, like how angry she is still, like how her anger has pretty much kind of like taken over all of her sense of right and wrong in a way. And I think it just is kind of like on her. She's so angry with herself that she's going to try and do everything that she can to essentially make it right. But I think kind of in the end, I think she's going to realize that this isn't going to make her feel better and it's not going to make her it's not going to bring her family back. Right. I think that's going to be, you know, I'm hoping to hear more about her story later on, but I'm curious to see if that's kind of like, you know, what she struggles with and kind of realizes at some point that, yeah, this really isn't worth it and it's not going to make me feel any better than what I feel today. No, I agree. And I think the part that you were kind of you've been hinting at a few times now is Selena talking to the master about pain and what it does to us. And so this is a paragraph. I apologize. It's kind of long. But so the master is saying, because I hope she would eventually trust me enough to tell me I had to give her that chance, even though it was a risk. I hope she would learn to face her pain, that she'd learn to endure it. You smiled sadly at Selena. If you can learn to endure pain, you can survive anything. Some people learn to embrace it, to love it. Some endure it through drowning it in sorrow or by making themselves forget. Others, though, turn it into anger. But Ansel let her pain become hate and let it consume her until she became something else entirely, a person I don't think she ever wished to be. Yeah, that's a good paragraph. It's really powerful. So I definitely think that was interesting because, you know, there are only so many avenues that pain can take. And for Ansel, she just let it boil and fester and become who she was as a defining feature. And so it just kind of took over everything that she was. And so for her, leaving this wake of bodies did justify her end goals, even though she was acting almost similarly to what she hated. And so the next question that I had to go with that was, you know, not something you necessarily need to answer, but just something to think about. You know, what do we and our normal lives, since we're not assassins, at least, you know, I'm not. I can't tell you I'd have to kill you. What do we overlook to accomplish a goal? You know, who gets stepped on or ignored? You know, the same thing with Ansel. What are we overlooking just to reach this end point? It's really powerful and very deep. But and then, you know, now, unfortunately, you know, Ansel had to deal with the pain of losing her family, and now Selena has to live with this pain of, you know, this broken friendship and mistrust. And, you know, how is that? You know, we talked about it earlier. How is that going to define her? How is she going to let that pain change her? Will she endure it? Will she, you know, survive it? So on and so forth. So the same quote from what the master was saying about Ansel now also, you know, is going to define. Yeah, exactly. That it defines her in some way now. But any kind of last thoughts? Because I know. I like this section. I thought it was it was a nice little change. And I'm curious to see where the story goes from here. Yeah, I am too. I agree. It was definitely slower. But then at the end of like. I know. Yeah. Everything happens so much. I was nervous. I was like, this is a really slow in the beginning. It was bad, but it's like the other two are a little bit faster. So I'm just kind of plotting along and then everything, you know, hit the fan. So OK. Whoa. Excellent. Yeah. All right. Well, with that being said, we'll kind of wrap it up there. Keep it a little bit shorter this week. But the next section that we have, the next novella is the Assassin and the Underworld. We got it right this time. So I think that's also right at 100 pages. So we're not going to go too, too crazy. So that'll be our goal for next week. And we'll go from there. But until then, go read my little bookworms.