Ep. 12 - Eragon: Deathwatch

Mistakes were made!Lucy and Darien bemoan character (and author) decisions to needlessly withhold information until chapter 29, "A Costly Mistake." Talking points include Eragon's many mistakes, Brom's complete lack of preparation before taking on a teaching position, suffering through unpleasant character interactions that could have been avoided, some peak, unintentional emotional manipulation, and wanting all the moments of Eragon and Saphira caring about each other. Spoilers for The Adventure Zone podcast and graphic novel series at 8:28-15:08. Sparks of InspirationLucy discusses letting yourself be inspired by the real people in your life who achieve goals you have for yourself. Darien hyper-analyzes a single panel from The Adventure Zone: Petals to the Metal. Share your Sparks of Inspiration or Geodes with us on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@EragonPod⁠⁠⁠   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

21 Feb 202454min

Another weirdly short chapter!Darien and Lucy support literacy in YA fantasy protagonists in chapter 27, "Of Reading and Plots," and chapter 28, "Thieves in the Castle."Talking points include employing the powerful writing tool called "the time skip," the sound of mental voices, not spending every waking moment with your characters, and Eragon's odd habit of not reflecting on his weirdly prophetic dreams. Sparks of InspirationDarien really enjoyed Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+ and how the nearly 20-year-old story was adapted for a new medium and audience. Lucy is (was) excited for the new year and New Year's resolutions. Share your Sparks of Inspiration or Geodes with us on Instagram ⁠⁠@EragonPod⁠⁠   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

7 Feb 202439min

The journey continues!Lucy and Darien speculate about mysterious prophecies while pretending they haven't read the rest of the series in chapter 26, "The Witch and the Werecat." Talking points include Angela still being the best, bizarre choices regarding the "sound" of telepathic communication, character voices, prophetic dreams, and Darien doing her very best not to go negative about an impending love story she really dislikes. Sparks of InspirationLucy draws comparisons to the video game Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning.Darien owns up to being the reason the podcast went on unexpected hiatus--AKA talks about the book she's working on! Follow her Instagram for updates: https://www.instagram.com/dariensmartt/Share your Sparks of Inspiration or Geodes with us on Instagram ⁠@EragonPod⁠   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

24 Jan 202457min

Angela is here! Darien and Lucy get way too excited about a side character in Eragon chapter 25, “An Old Friend.” Talking points include Angela being the best, if toads are all actually frogs, the heartwarming fact that Christopher Paolini dedicated this book to his sister Angela, Angela being our spark of inspiration for the week, and some stuff lore stuff in which Brom doubles down on being cryptic and mysterious, we guess. Sparks of InspirationAngela!Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

6 Dec 202341min

Sing the song of your people! (Or write it down. That’s fine.)Lucy and Darien sing different tunes in Eragon chapter 23, “A Song for the Road,” and chapter 24, “A Taste of Terim.”Talking points include why songs in non-audio mediums are the worst, awesome descriptions of the sea, the song in this chapter being pretty good actually, a practical use of magic that tragically replaces archery, identifying criticism of elements that detract from the text versus criticism based on personal preference, the audiobook version coming in clutch for name pronunciation, Eragon getting the hang of improv, friendly, lore-dropping NPCs, and the tragedy of Boromir not being included in fanart of the Fellowship. Sparks of InspirationLucy, inspired by the streamer Deebeegeek (https://www.youtube.com/c/deebeegeek), strives to relive The Legend of Zelda series with fresh eyes.Darien reflects on the inspiration one gains from having a fruitful conversation about a piece of media that just didn’t work for you. Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

6 Dec 202345min

Let’s take to the skies! Darien and Lucy enjoy the magical experience of flying on a dragon in Eragon chapter 22, “Through the Eyes of a Dragon.”Talking points include Saphira’s time spent alone in the skies, how the way dragons perceive color may contribute to their vain nature, Eragon’s strong Stanger Danger Skills, the gaps in Brom’s magical teaching curriculum, Eragon’s terrible Lab Safety Skills, Bottled Acid Splash, and a convenient event that leads to Eragon’s cunning plan to continue moving the plot forward.Sparks of InspirationDarien celebrates her geode of writing the two-page summary for her novel.Lucy gushes over the incredible final battle in Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

15 Nov 202340min

The kingdom is in disarray. Lucy and Darien are relieved to find everyone is alive in Eragon chapter 21, “Daret.” Talking points include how to spot a villain in a fantasy novel (Hint: His name has an X in it, and he rides a black dragon), tracking the various factions we know little about, magical vibe checks, and Darien’s specific choices for character voices. Sparks of InspirationLucy speaks on the importance of celebrating every amount of effort put into creating your art. Darien finds inspiration in engaging with works created by different voices from different experiences. Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

25 Okt 202330min

All magic comes with a price. Darien and Lucy tackle more magic in Eragon chapter 20, “Magic is the Simplest Thing.” Talking points include the rules of magic, hard versus soft magic systems, spoilers versus genre tropes, elf lore, Dragon Rider lore, and the danger of discovering one’s true name. Sparks of InspirationDarien romanticizes growing up and finding magic in the mundane with Fionna and CakeLucy breaks the rules and shouts out Eragon and Back Again (It’s important to inspire yourself) Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

18 Okt 202342min