Revolution was the easy part. Governing is another story.

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson, covering chapters 13–24.

Luthadel may be free from the Lord Ruler, but the real battle has just begun. As political tensions rise and outside armies threaten the city, Elend must decide whether his ideals can survive in a world that demands compromise. Meanwhile, Vin finds herself increasingly isolated, questioning who she can trust—and whether she truly belongs in the world she helped create.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The escalating political instability in Luthadel

• Elend’s struggle between idealism and survival

• Vin’s growing paranoia

• The complicated and unsettling presence of Zane

Join us as we unpack the tension, the character shifts, and the mounting pressure in chapters 13–24.

The Lord Ruler is dead… so why does everything feel more fragile than ever?

In this first episode of our The Well of Ascension deep dive, we’re breaking down chapters 1–12 and asking the big question: what does it actually take to rebuild an empire after it collapses?

We talk through:

• Elend’s impossible task of ruling Luthadel without becoming what he overthrew

• Vin grappling with power, paranoia, and her uneasy bond with OreSeur

• Sazed’s quiet but deeply unsettling journey alongside Marsh

• And the early warning signs that maybe—just maybe—the Final Empire didn’t fall as cleanly as we thought

We also introduce our State of the Empire recap, share first impressions, and kick off our 3-2-1 format: ✨ three standout moments ✨ two impactful character beats ✨ one prediction going forward

Welcome back to Scadrial, book friends. Things are already getting tense.

In the final episode of our Red Queen series, Books Between Friends wraps up our discussion of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, covering Chapters 22 through the end, where long-held assumptions unravel and the truth finally comes into focus.

As secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested, it becomes clear that much of what Mare—and the reader—believed was carefully constructed. The questions of trust, power, and manipulation that have been building throughout the book collide in an ending that forces us to reassess nearly everything that came before.

In this episode, we discuss the major reveals, the emotional fallout of betrayal, and how the ending reframes the story as a whole—leaving us with more questions, stronger opinions, and an urgent need to continue the series.

⚠️ This episode contains full spoilers for Red Queen.