DEAR FANTASY READER PODCAST

Season Guide

Our episodes range from chapter-by-chapter deep dives to prep seasons, book reactions, author interviews, and full-on theory spirals.

Not sure where to begin?

Use this guide to binge, backtrack, or jump in wherever you left off!

Season one:

Fourth Wing DEEP DIVE (Completed)

Overview:

Our spoiler-packed, chapter-by-chapter breakdown of Fourth Wing revisited through the lens of Iron Flame. We reanalyze everything. No detail is too small. No theory is too extra.

Best For:

Readers who’ve finished Iron Flame and want to re-experience Fourth Wing with the new context. This season is also great for anyone who wants to revisit what we predicted before Onyx Storm to see how right (or totally wrong) we were.

What to Expect:

  • Chapter-by-chapter deep dives

  • Character analysis and reader theories

  • Emotional reactions and wild speculation

Season TWO:

Onyx Storm Prep (COMPLETED)

Overview:

Your spoiler-packed crash course through Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, including 9+ hours of Empyrean theory spiraling. This season features a massive labor-of-love roundup of every clue and hint Rebecca Yarros gave about Onyx Storm in interviews.

Best For:

Readers who just finished Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and want to spiral with us before diving into Onyx Storm. It’s also a great revisit if you're curious how right (or wildly wrong) our predictions were — and some theories might still come true in Empyrean Books 4 and 5!

What to Expect:

  • Recap of Fourth Wing (no Iron Flame spoilers)

  • Recap of Iron Flame (no Onyx Storm spoilers)

  • Onyx Storm & Empyrean theories

  • All author interview clues from Rebecca Yarros

  • Dear Dragon Reader deep dives:

    • Characters

    • Dragonkind

    • Venin

    • Feathertails

    • & more!

Season THREE:

Onyx Storm DEEP DIVE (COMPLETED)

Overview:

This season is a full chapter-by-chapter breakdown of Onyx Storm. It’s packed with emotional spirals, sharp analysis, and all the context you didn’t know you needed. We don’t just react. We dissect. From character arcs and lore threads, to epigraph meanings and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it foreshadowing, this is your complete companion through every twist, turn, and theory to experience the book on a whole new level.

Best For:

Anyone still emotionally recovering from Onyx Storm, or trying to piece together every hint, thread, and theory. If you're a theory-lover, an easter egg hunter, or someone who needs to spiral with structure, this is your go-to.

What to Expect:

  • Initial thoughts & reactions episode

  • Explaining The Ending & Listener FAQs

  • Bonus content

  • Chapter-by-chapter analysis (16 episodes)

    • Episode Structure:

      • Recap of key details

      • Plot discussion & analysis

      • Favorite characters, moments, & quotes

      • Epigraph breakdown

      • Foreshadowing & Easter eggs

      • Well-developed and supported theories for what’s to come

Season FOUR:

DEAR FANTASY AUTHOR INTERVIEWS (ONGOING)

Overview:

Our bonus interview series where we sit down with the brilliant minds behind the books we love. We ask the craft questions and the fangirl ones. Expect heart, hilarity, and some wildly unhinged theorizing with the authors themselves. 

We get into it all: How did this story come to life? Why did you break our hearts? When is the next book coming? And what can we spiral about in the meantime?

Best For:

Readers deciding if a book is for them (check out the spoiler-free segment!), longtime fans looking for behind-the-scenes insights, aspiring authors curious about the craft, or anyone who wants to scream about plot twists with the person who created them.

What to Expect:

  • Spoiler-free & spoiler-filled interview segments

  • Author trivia + listener Q&As

  • Craft process & sequel teasers

Season FIVE:

BOOK REACTIONS (ONGOING)

Overview:

Spoiler-packed hot takes and emotional spirals from books we just finished reading. These episodes are our raw reactions when we’re not ready to deep dive… but had to talk about it. Unhinged, unscripted, and unforgettable.

Best For:

Anyone who’s read the spotlighted book and needs someone to spiral with immediately!

What to Expect:

  • Full spoiler reactions

  • Initial thoughts + post-read chaos

  • Fresh theories and questions

Season SIX:

MYSTERY PREP (COMING SOON)

Overview:

We’re back in prep mode. While we can’t tell you which book yet, just know we’re already spiraling. This season is built to help readers feel fully caught up no matter how long it’s been since they read the earlier books.

Best For:

Anyone who needs a crash course before a sequel, wants a lore/worldbuilding refresh, or prefers to let someone else do the theorizing for them.

What to Expect:

  • Recap of earlier books in the series

  • Worldbuilding & lore refreshers

  • Key questions & theories heading into the new release

  • Post-release initial reactions & breakdowns to follow