Books Between Friends Podcast

The Maas-verse countdown has officially begun… and apparently we decided the best way to start was by discussing all 800+ pages of House of Earth and Blood in ONE episode. 😅
With ACOTAR Book 6 on the horizon, we’re making our way through the corners of the Maas-verse that matter most before returning to Prythian—and first up is Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City.
Bryce Quinlan. Hunt Athalar. Danika. The Pack of Devils. A murder mystery buried beneath approximately seventeen thousand pieces of world-building. And, of course, an ending that reminded us exactly why Sarah J. Maas has been emotionally terrorizing readers for years.
Since we only have one episode to cover the entire book, we’re ditching our usual chapter-by-chapter approach and going straight for the conversations that mattered most: the characters we loved, the moments that changed everything, the relationships we’re side-eyeing, the lore that made our brains hurt, and the questions we’re carrying into House of Sky and Breath.
And yes—we know what we signed up for. 😂
This is only the beginning of our Maas-verse journey as we count down to ACOTAR Book 6, with Crescent City and ACOTAR episodes leading us all the way back to Prythian.
⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: This episode contains full spoilers for House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas.
📚 In this episode:• Our overall reaction to Crescent City 1• Bryce, Hunt, Danika & the characters who stole the book• The world-building overload of those opening chapters• The reveals that completely changed the story• Our biggest emotional moments• What worked—and what didn’t—for us• The questions and theories we’re taking into Crescent City 2• Why we’re putting ourselves through this entire Maas-verse marathon before ACOTAR 6
Grab a drink, summon whatever emotional support creature you have available, and join the book club.

Darrow entered the Institute thinking he understood the Golds. By the end? He’s beaten their game, exposed just how rigged it really is, and somehow made his mission even MORE complicated.
In our final Red Rising discussion, we’re covering Chapters 34–44—and Pierce Brown apparently decided there was no reason to let us emotionally recover before the finish line.
We’re talking about Darrow finally turning his attention toward the people actually controlling the game, the confrontation with the Jackal, the absolutely devastating loss of Pax, and whether Darrow has truly become the leader the Sons of Ares hoped he would be.
And then there’s Mustang.
Because after spending an entire book wondering whether Darrow can actually trust her, we finally learn exactly who Virginia au Augustus is—and suddenly their entire relationship looks a little more complicated.
We also look back at Darrow’s journey from the mines of Lykos to becoming the champion of the Institute, discuss what worked (and what didn’t) for us in our first trip into the Red Rising universe, and make our final predictions for where this story could possibly go next.
The Institute may be over.
Darrow’s real war? That’s just getting started.
🚨 Spoiler Warning: This episode discusses Chapters 34–44 and the ending of Red Rising by Pierce Brown.

Darrow has spent the Institute building alliances, making enemies, and hiding one very important secret—but in Chapters 23–33 of Red Rising, some of those carefully constructed relationships begin to crack.
First, we have to talk about Titus. The truth about his identity completely changes how we view his actions—and raises some pretty uncomfortable questions about what becoming a Gold can do to a Red.
Then there’s Mustang and Reaper. Their alliance continues to grow, but are we imagining things, or is there something else starting to develop between them? 👀
Meanwhile: WHERE IS ROQUE?!
We also finally meet the infamous Jackal, and somehow his introduction manages to make the Institute feel even more dangerous than it already was.
But the biggest bombshell comes when Cassius learns the truth about Julian. Darrow can only keep that secret buried for so long, and when it finally comes out, the friendship between Cassius and Darrow comes crashing down in one brutal confrontation.
In this episode, we're discussing:
🔴 The reveal that Titus was actually a Red
🐺 Our first introduction to the Jackal
👀 Mustang + Reaper...are we sensing something here?
❓ Seriously, where is Roque?
💔 Cassius discovering what really happened to Julian
⚔️ The Cassius vs. Darrow confrontation
🔮 Our predictions heading into the FINAL section of Red Rising
We're almost at the end, book friends—and Darrow's problems are piling up fast.
Spoilers through Chapter 33 of Red Rising by Pierce Brown.

⚠️ Spoilers through Chapter 22 of Red Rising by Pierce Brown.
Darrow has been remade—but becoming a Gold is about a lot more than changing his appearance.
In Part 2 of our Red Rising deep dive, we're discussing Chapters 12–22 as Darrow survives the brutal carving, learns to walk and talk like a Gold, enters the Institute, and discovers just how far Gold society is willing to go to preserve its idea of strength.
We break down the transformation that nearly kills Darrow, Mickey's unsettling desire to create a "god," and the growing concern that everyone around Darrow seems to view him less as a person and more as a weapon for their cause.
Then we get into the Passage, Darrow's devastating encounter with Julian, the complicated friendship beginning to form with Cassius, and an Institute that turns out to be much less "school" and much more "throw a bunch of teenagers into a war game and see what happens."
Plus, we're talking Antonia, Roque, Mateo, the power struggles already forming inside House Mars, and one question we can't stop coming back to: Can Darrow become powerful enough to destroy Gold society without becoming part of it himself?

We’re heading beneath the surface for our very first discussion of Red Rising by Pierce Brown!
This week we're covering Chapters 1–11, and somehow Pierce Brown manages to pack more into eleven chapters than some books do in an entire novel. We dive into the fascinating color-based caste system, meet Darrow and Eo, and unpack the emotional moments that immediately pulled us into this world.
Join us as we discuss:📚 The Golds, Reds, and the hierarchy that shapes society❤️ Our first impressions of Darrow and Eo🌎 The incredible amount of worldbuilding packed into the opening chapters🔮 Our early predictions for where this story is headed
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Chapters 1–11 of Red Rising.
Grab your favorite cozy drink and come join the book club!

The rivalry leaves the ice and heads to the screen.
In our final Heated Rivalry episode, we're comparing Rachel Reid's beloved novel with its television adaptation. We discuss the casting choices, which actors embodied Shane and Ilya best, the moments the show absolutely nailed, and the biggest changes that surprised us.
We also break down:
Our favorite casting decisions
Three things the show stayed faithful to
Three changes that stood out (for better or worse)
Whether we ultimately preferred the book or the adaptation
Did the show capture the chemistry that made Heated Rivalry such a fan favorite? Or is this one of those stories that's simply better on the page?
⚠️ Full spoilers for both the book and the TV adaptation.

After years of rivalry, secret meetings, and impossible choices, everything finally comes to a head.  In Part 2 of our Heated Rivalry discussion, we're covering Chapters 15 through the Epilogue, where Shane and Ilya's relationship reaches its emotional breaking point—and ultimately, its most rewarding moments.
From heartfelt confessions and long-overdue conversations to career-defining milestones and one unforgettable ending, Rachel Reid delivers a romance that rewards every ounce of patience she asks from the reader.  Join us as we talk about our favorite scenes, the growth of both characters, the people who quietly supported them along the way, and why this finale left us smiling long after we finished the book.  
Whether you've just turned the final page or you're rereading one of your favorite hockey romances, grab your favorite cozy drink and come chat with us.  
📚 This episode covers Chapters 15–Epilogue of Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. ⚠️ Full spoilers ahead!

The rivalry starts here.
This week we're diving into Prologue–Chapter 14 of Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, where Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov's story begins to unfold through a mix of present-day moments and flashbacks that reveal how one of hockey's fiercest rivalries first took shape.
From their first meeting as teenagers to years of battling each other on the ice, we're unpacking the tension, competitive chemistry, and emotional undercurrents that make this relationship impossible to ignore. Publicly they're rivals. Privately... things are already becoming far more complicated.
Join us as we discuss first impressions, character dynamics, our favorite moments, and everything we noticed in the opening chapters of this fan-favorite hockey romance.
Chapters Covered: Prologue–Chapter 14
📚 Grab your copy, settle in with your favorite cozy drink, and join the conversation, book friends!

We've reached the end of The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson, and there is a lot to unpack.
Join us as we break down the final chapters (68–Epilogue), discuss the biggest reveals, revisit the mysteries that have been building since the beginning of the trilogy, and talk about how everything comes together in one unforgettable ending.
We also share our final ratings, favorite moments, biggest surprises, and whether The Hero of Ages delivered on everything we hoped for.
⚠️ This episode contains full spoilers for The Hero of Ages and the original Mistborn trilogy.
If you've finished the book, we'd love to hear from you! Did the ending live up to the hype? Who do you think had the most satisfying character arc? Let us know your thoughts.

This week we're discussing The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson, covering Chapters 51–67.
The truth behind Ruin's influence finally comes into focus as Spook realizes he has been manipulated all along—and discovers he wasn't the only one. Quellion's actions suddenly take on an entirely new meaning as the extent of Ruin's control becomes impossible to ignore.
Meanwhile, Vin finds herself trapped and forced into unsettling conversations with Ruin, giving us some of the biggest lore reveals in the series so far. Even while imprisoned, Elend manages to communicate with Preservation in one of the most memorable scenes in the novel.
At the same time, Sazed continues wrestling with his crisis of faith, desperately searching for answers as the world edges closer to its end.
In this episode we discuss:
Spook's realization about Ruin's manipulation
The reveal surrounding Quellion (the Citizen)
Vin's conversations with Ruin
Elend's odd conversation with Preservation
Sazed's ongoing struggle with religion and faith
Our predictions for the final chapters
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This episode contains spoilers through Chapter 67 of The Hero of Ages.