The Redwyn Chronicles | In which me and Kaitlyn Philips fangirl about the entire series
- M.L. Milligan
- Oct 18, 2024
- 13 min read
I know what you're thinking. This is not like my usual blog posts. And you'd be right. But I think you're really gonna like this. đ
A little while ago, me and Kaitlyn Phillips got together and started fangirling about one of our favorite authorsâMadisyn Carlin. One thing led to another, and we went, "Hey, why don't we co-write a blog post about The Redwyn Chronicles?"
Then that led to basically 3,000 words of us ranting and raving about this series. đ
Small note: This post is full of spoilers . . . so if you haven't read the series yet, go and read it, then come back. đ And if you've already read it, then good job!
Here we go . . .


IRON
Favorite Character(s) Because who can pick one?
KAYTI: For me, my favorite character would be a tie between Carter and Red. Carter is justâŚahh, great! Plus, heâs a blacksmith (cool) and heâs so nice! While RedâŚshe sarcasm to her core and I am all here for it!
MAC: Same! Carter is an absolute sweetheart, and his character journey was the best. insert allll the heart eyes And Red. Oh, Red. I think I relate to her a little too much, hehe . . .Â
KAYTI: Red reminds me of my younger sister, JaiâŚsoâŚlolâŚI love it.
MAC: Thatâs awesome. đ
MAC: And letâs not forget the first introduction of the âWolf Menâ! Redâs interaction with them was the absolute best.Â
KAYTI: Priceless! It was so good! I loved! Especially since I was intrigued by Ruid and Lycus!
MAC: Even cooler is the fact that we see these two later on in the series!
KAYTI: Yes, I loved that we got to see more of them! And Iâm excited for yet more page time for the âWolf Menâ!
MAC: Same. đŻ
Favorite Moment(s) Because there are just so manyâŚ

MAC: First thing that comes to mind? Any time Red is with her horse, Cygnus. cackles She met her match in equine form with that one.
KAYTI: Ah, yes, those scenes are awesome! Cygnus is such a mood! Also, I love the interactions Red has with Denton, he quickly became one of my favorite side characters! (I was so glad he got his own story in KEY!)
MAC: Yessss. The tension and friction was real, but I loved how it all ended with those two. đĽ°
KAYTI: Yes! So worth itâŚand circling back to Ruid and Lycus, any scene with them and Red is priceless because of her animosity toward them. XD
MAC: Oh, it was awesome. At first, I kinda sided with Red. Like, who are these outsiders?! But that quickly turned into just me laughing cause it was too fun to read.
KAYTI: Same. Itâs just gold! I love how Red dishes sarcasm and Lycus just gives it right back to herâŚlolâŚ
MAC: Hehe . . . I think Lycus and Cygnus are related somehow. đ
KAYTI: XD Yes! DefinitelyâŚlolâŚ
MAC: I also really liked the masquerade ball. Such a cool addition to the plot, in my opinion.
KAYTI: Oh, yes, and the fact that Red dragged Carter along. XD
MAC: Oh, yeah. Poor guy. đ
KAYTI: He really didnât want to goâŚXD But Red is a forceâŚlike literally. XD
MAC: A force to be reckoned with, absolutely.
Least Favorite Character(s), Villains and other things:
KAYTI: DraymondâŚ.I almost feel like the name is enough to dislike this guy? Like it screams villain/donât trust this guy!
MAC: Uggh, yes. And Lord Riley? shivers That guy was despicable.
KAYTI: Yeah, Antony wasnât any better either. What a jerkâŚ*glowers in the general direction of the villains*
MAC: Carlin just writes amazing characters. If theyâre the heroes/heroines, they're amazing. If theyâre the antagonists/villains, wellâŚtheyâre incredible at being so. đ¤Ł
KAYTI: Definitely. Her villains definitely hit the mark of being detestably evil. shivers
MAC: Yup.Â
KAYTI: I also just remember the guy at the end who tries to take off with TopikaâŚBut I canât remember where he was from. He was so crazy thoughâŚ.the ending got intense.
MAC: Ooooh, I forgot about that! And yeah, that ending was something elseâŚ
KAYTI: Definitely a wild and fun ride!
MAC: You forgot heartbreaking too, but yes, all of the above. đ
KAYTI: This is trueâŚCarlin knows how to keep us coming back for more. ;)

CROWN
KAYTI: I think one of my favorite aspects of reading CROWN was getting to meet Char and Redâs parents! Which was just so much fun! Especially meeting Redâs parents. XD
MAC: Ahh . . . Euler and Janni were hysterical. No small wonder where Red got her sass from, hehe.
KAYTI: I know! She came by it honestly.
MAC: No kidding! And I also loved to see young Calvin and just how good of a future king he showed heâd. And Isadora . . . it was just fun to be in her mind.
KAYTI: Yes! I loved Calvinâs arc in the book, how unsure he was which was cool to pair with the image we get of him in IRON, which is calm and collected and in charge. This is true, Isadora handled her situation a whole lot better than I would have. XD
MAC: Ha! I wouldâve handled it more in a Red-ish fashion, I think. đ¤ Which means I wouldâve landed in a lot of trouble . . . Thereâs a reason this was Isadoraâs book and not Redâs. đ¤Ł
KAYTI: Haha, true! I would have been dissolved into a puddle of tears, probablyâŚI might surprise myself, but I doubt it. XD

KEY
Favorite Character(s) Because who can pick one?
KAYTI: I legit was so excited when I found out Denton was getting his own story! Like, eeeek! And wow, his arc through this book. My heart went out to him. I loved him. Thereâs no competition for meâŚlolâŚDenton is my favorite character in KEY!
MAC: Denton was, without a doubt, the star of the show. đ Just to see him get his footing and grow into who he was out from his father and older brotherâs shadows was, in a word, inspiring.
KAYTI: Yes. So inspiring and I may or may not have cried. It was beautiful!
MAC: Nerrisa was also quite the womanâŚI have to say, I related to her a good bit in some places.
KAYTI: Yes. As an older sister myself, I definitely found myself relating a lot. Her want to protect her sisters and but also her own fears. Iâve been in that spot before so her arc definitely hit hard as well. Denton just stole the show is all. XD
MAC: Ha! Same. You know, Iâm sensing a theme here . . . heartbreakingly-real characters. Carlin is a pro at those.
KAYTI: That she is. Sheâs trying to break me I thinkâŚlolâŚat least it feels that way. XD Her characters are just relatable on so many levels.
MAC: They really are. Even her littles! âCause Iâm telling you, Nerriâs little sisters werenât only comic relief when it was much needed. They were a true portrayal of small siblings. đ¤Ł
KAYTI: Yes! They were so great! I especially loved Elberta. XD
MAC: Me too. đ
Favorite Moment(s) Because there are just so manyâŚ
KAYTI: Man, I am having a hard time pinpointing a favorite moment. (Besides Dentonâs âredemptionâ scene of a sort that is.)

MAC: Man. That was such a good part. đ I will say, the part that stuck with me was when the title finally made sense. 𤣠The whole time, I was like âIs this a literal key? A metaphorical one?â Then we found out and I was like âAh! Thatâs so cool!â
KAYTI: YesâŚlolâŚSame, though in a sense, I feel like it was both. Because Denton found that the key, so to speak, of putting his past behind him was turning it all over to the Beginning. And the same with Nerri and her anxiety, which was justâŚ.ah, perfection!
MAC: So true!! I love how Madisyn did that, 100%.
MAC: I also loved when Carter galloped into view and Denton was like âYouâre here with twenty soldiers because you thought I was causing trouble?â Then Carter went, âNo, Denton. Iâm here with twenty soldiers because I thought you were in trouble.â I tabbed that line in a second in my copy. đĽ°
KAYTI: Ack! Yes, that part was sooooo good! I loved it!
MAC: The proposal scene was something else too. đ¤Ł
KAYTI: Yes! XD So many epic and fun moments! And beautiful ones too!
Least Favorite Character(s), Villains and other things:
KAYTI: There are so many people I donât like in this bookâŚthe villains are justâŚ*shivers* But I think we established that Madisyn knows what sheâs about when it comes to characters.
MAC: Yes! And as much as I loved to see Madisyn build on old villains, the new ones . . . shivers with you I especially loathed Afyaâs mom, the Mother Goethel character. Eesh . . .
KAYTI: Dude, she was soooo creepy. SO CREEPY! shivers with you I also found myself hating Dentonâs family even moreâŚsuch jerks.
MAC: Poor, poor, Denton. I hated how so much of his past came to life. No, I take that back, I hated what came to life from his past. So much trauma . . .
KAYTI: I know! So much trauma on my baby, but he wouldnât be who he was without itâŚso, Iâm caught between wishing he had a better life and loving the guy he is!
MAC: Same! Iâm just glad Madisyn believes in happy endings. đ Or else Iâd have some nasty letters to write regarding my favorite characters . . .
KAYTI: Me too! Oh, I also love how the Rapunzel theme was incorporated with the watch towersâŚthat was cool. And somehow so perfect for the devious villains.
MAC: That was a super cool twist! And how there were Rapunzel-by-the-sea vibes to it too. I would not have thought to do that, but it worked so well!
KAYTI: So well! And that whole subplot with Noko and Jonah andâŚ.my heart, what those boys went through. hugs them
MAC: Noko! I loved that boy. Iâm so glad Madisyn let him stick around for another book. Speaking of which . . .
KAYTI: Yes, I love Noko, too! Yes! Letâs move on to ARROW!

ARROW
Favorite Character(s) Because who can pick one?
MAC: Can I just say how excited I was that Ruid got his own book? đ
KAYTI: Yes! Ruid! And getting to see Lycus again was awesome! And the wolves! I loved all the wolves!
MAC: The wolves were an awesome aspect, absolutely. And they totally fit with the countryâs overall feel, you know?
Kayti: Yes! I also loved all the characters that weâre nods back to the Disney movieâŚsuch as Cricket being a wolfâŚ.it was gold!Â
MAC: And Yushu! When I pieced together who he represented . . . I couldnât stop laughing! That, coupled with the quotes and lines from the Disney Mulan . . . it was too much!
KAYTI: I know! Yushu cracked me up so much! And then Pwyll, Lao, and Yul! I couldnâtâŚI just kept getting cracked up when I put all the pieces together for who everyone was. Ruid made a great General Cheng fill in. XD
MAC: He totally did. XD
KAYTI: I also appreciated the fact that Maerin didnât have to pretend to be a boy (one side of the story I always found hard to believe) and instead was pretending to be from a different clan. That was great! And left more room for the romance to develop.
MAC: I really appreciated that Madysin did that too.Â

MAC: Also, can we take a second for Lady Florencia Periwinkle and her hilarious little raccoon please? XD
KAYTI: Precious! LolâŚI loved Precious and Lady Florencia! She was so great! And Precious was such a weaponâŚlolâŚ
MAC: Iâll admit, I had my doubts about her, but oh my goodness . . . they were a riot!
KAYTI: I knowâŚbut it was epic and how annoyed Lyndon got with both of them made it even more hilarious! Also, a moment of appreciation for LyndonâŚhe was great! Bonus points for going up against Red with sarcasmâŚXD
MAC: He deserves a round of applause, thatâs no small feat, you know. XD
KAYTI: TrueâŚlolâŚoverall, this cast is great! Red has so many golden moments in this one! Love that girl!
MAC: She really does. XD
Favorite Moment(s) Because there are just so manyâŚ
KAYTI: Goodness, so many good moments! I love when Precious is thrown at people, though. XD
MAC: That raccoon is a weapon. XD Red should think about employing a similar tactic . . . đ¤
KAYTI: HahahaâŚyes. XD Also, just everything about this book. The everything! Iâm having a hard time picking favorite moments. XD
MAC: Every scene with Ruid and Lycus going back and forth immediately goes on the favorites list for me. XD
KAYTI: Yes! Lycus and Ruid are the perfect friend duoâŚlolâŚand when Ruidâs sisters were teasing Lycus toward the end it was hilarious!Â
KAYTI: I also want to say that Madisyn told me she wrote Ruid and Maerinâs part of the story and then went back and wrote Redâs separateâŚto which I am extremely impressed that she was able to do that and keep the timeline consistent.
MAC: Itâs impressive how she keeps everything together, Iâll say that. XD But Iâm glad Red got some page time, even if it was miles away from the action with Ruidâs camp. XD

KAYTI: Yes! Me too! Also, the ending of Redâs adventures in Frilore was not expected. My heart stopped for just a second after LyndonâŚwell, you know. I couldnât get to the next Red chapter fast enough, but then there was so much going on Ruid and Maerinâs chapters I wanted to read. Torn does not begin to describe itâŚXD
MAC: FRANTIC. That was me reading the second part of that book. XD I was like, thereâs no way . . . is there? This is Madisyn, after all . . . Then I proceeded to flip pages at a frantic rate.
KAYTI: I know! I was like Madisyn wouldnâtâŚwould she? Proceeds to read like a madwoman I think I finished the book in 3 or 4 days. XD I had to know what happened. How it ended!
MAC: And speaking of the ending! . . . đ
KAYTI: Dude, I donât know if Iâm over that sneak peek yetâŚlike, what was that? Torture for the reader? Emotion trauma for us to hang onto until August of 2025âŚXD
MAC: I think Madisyn takes secret pleasure in making us anxious for the next release . . .
KAYTI: I think youâre right. XD
Least Favorite Character(s), Villains and other things:
KAYTI: The villains in this oneâŚdude, left field on Redâs part. Like wow!Â
MAC: Tell me about it! I was wracking my brain over that one . . . And then Park! đ Despicable creature.
KAYTI: Ugh, yesâŚhorrible man.
MAC: Also, may I just say, McWhinneys was a piece of work. XD
KAYTI: Yes, you mayâŚ.*huffs* So many despicable people. How does Madisyn come up with all of them?
MAC: Iâd honestly like to know. XD

WOLF
KAYTI: Now, itâs time for what weâre excited about/hope to see from the final book in the series! The grand finale which is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, and Iâm just so stoked for the final book in the series! Like it canât come fast enough! (August of 2025 feels like itâs a million years away at this point XD)
MAC: Yes!! Ugh, especially after that cliffhanger ARROW left us on. Like, really?? August canât come soon enough!
KAYTI: I believe that was the most aggravating sneak peek of the next book in a series that I have ever read. I havenât read one since because Iâm so upset with where she left us hanging. XD Like, who does that? (Besides Madi, of course)
MAC: Uh, Mads does that, thatâs who. đ¤Śââď¸đ
MAC: I will say, Iâm super excited to see Lycus and Red together. Theyâre such a hoot!
KAYTI: That is definitely something Iâm super excited about! Their interactions will be literal gold! Plus, where Lycus isâŚRuid is sure to be around and wolves! I mean the book is called WOLF, we have to have some wolves! Which I am so here for!
MAC: Eeh, yes! Those two are quite the pair, then throw Red into the mix . . . Oh, this is gonna be good. 𼰠We need Ruid there to needle Lycus. đ Iâm expecting to laugh and cry my way through this book, if Iâm being honest.
KAYTI: Totally! The brotherhood between Lycus and Ruid is just great! Honestly, they remind me of my brothers. XD And Red is gonna add so much sarcasm to the mixâŚlolâŚ
MAC: Aw, thatâs awesome. Theyâre such a blast, thatâs for sure. I have a sneaking suspicion that this one might be my favorite out of the series . . . đ
KAYTI: I mean, Red and Lycus are two of my favorite charactersâŚitâs definitely gonna be fun! It might just beat KEY or I may love them both equally for different reasons. (Iâm so indecisiveâŚlolâŚ)
MAC: Hehe, no, Iâm totally with you. cough Thatâs why we need this book ASAP, Mads cough đ
KAYTI: That and because Madi left us on a major cliffhangerâŚlikeâŚall I can say is if you are currently reading the series, do yourself a favor and skip that sneak peek at the end of ARROW so it doesnât rip your heart out and leave you hanging.
MAC: ^^^ What she said. đś
KAYTI: Another thing Iâm super excited about with this book is potentially getting to find out what happened to Redâs parentsâŚthis whole mystery has me hook, line, and sinker.

MAC: YES! smacks forehead Ah, man, I am dying to see that thread wrapped up. WHAT. HAPPENED?! I need answers.
KAYTI: YES! ANSWERS! Iâm seriously way too invested in that subplot. XD But I really want to know what happened to them, especially after getting to meet them in CROWN.
MAC: Yeah, no pressure, but . . . we need answers. Closure, at the very least. đ I will say though, if theyâre dead, I will be writing a very nasty letter to a certain author of my acquaintance . . . đ¤¨
KAYTI: Haha, I donât know if Iâll write a letter of notâŚdepends on how the storyline goes, if it worksâŚbut then I really do want them to still be aliveâŚyet, I have a sinking feeling they wonât be. cries
MAC: Iâm not mentally prepared enough for them to be dead. đ
KAYTI: pats Macâs back On another noteâŚI just have a feeling this is going to be a great, epic, fantastic book and I need it yesterday. XD
MAC: Youâre right. Just so long as it ends well, Iâm . . . Iâm willing to accept what deaths may be uncovered mutters under my breath I hope.
KAYTI: If youâre not, Iâll be your emotional support person, ready with virtual chocolate. hands you a bar to have on hand
MAC: Thank you. I have a feeling Iâm gonna need it.
KAYTI: Me too, Mac, me too.
KAYTI: Unless you have anything else to add I think thatâs a wrapâŚlike 3k words of fangirling madness later. XD
MAC: Wups? Iâm not apologizing, though. đ
MAC: I just have one note: If you havenât read this series, you need these books in your life. If you have, then welcome to the Anxiously-Awaiting-The-Next-Release Club.Â
KAYTI: Definitely. Read if you havenât and if you have read them, feel free to rant in the comments. ;)

Phew! đ Told you there was a lot. đ
I hope you had fun reading this little fangirl moment of ours! Make sure to check Madisyn Carlin out if you haven't already. She's a stellar author with some amazing things to share.
Catch ya on the flip side!
_Mac đ¤

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This is hilarious, ladies. XD Thank you so much for this. I can promise WOLF will likely cause you to come after me.