Your hosts read The Feather and the Lamp, a young adult novel by L.N. Hunter. They consider the comparison to Discworld, and talk about twists on mythology, both age-appropriate and compelling romance plotlines, and framing devices. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Lic...
Sep 17, 2025•36 min•Ep. 206
Your hosts are joined by Gabriella Buba to talk about Filipino fantasy, not shying away from religious atrocities committed by missionaries, and (extremely satisfying) corruption arcs in Saints of Storm and Sorrow, book one in The Stormbringer Saga (her now-complete duology). Find more from Gabriella: https://gabriellabuba.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gabriella.buba.books https://bsky.app/profile/gabriellabuba.bsky.social https://www.instagram.com/gabriellabuba/ Find us on Discord / Support us o...
Sep 10, 2025•42 min•Ep. 205
Your hosts see Odysseus back on Ithaca in The Last Song of Penelope, the final book in the Songs of Penelope Trilogy by Claire North. They talk about impossible love triangles, poorly thought out revenge strategies, and how badly Athena needs a hug. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Creative Commons: By At...
Sep 03, 2025•51 min•Ep. 204
Your hosts speak with Liz Shipton, author of Dot Slash Magic, about technology based magic, writing storylines just to be contrary, and creating both spicy and sanitized versions of a story. Also, dick magic. Find more from Liz: https://lizshipton.com/ https://instagram.com/lizshiptonauthor https://www.tiktok.com/@lizshiptonauthor https://bsky.app/profile/lizshiptonauthor.bsky.social Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià...
Aug 27, 2025•54 min•Ep. 203
Your hosts discuss The House on Utopia Way, Stefan Mohamed’s surreal, genre-blending detective noir novel. They talk about (not) getting lost in the weirdness of the setting, metaphors that feel natural, and how important it is to have sympathetic characters who bring it all together. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” - ...
Aug 20, 2025•40 min•Ep. 202
Your hosts read Starstruck by Aimee Ogden, a bittersweet, whimsical novella. They talk about fantastical settings, interpersonal conflict, and sympathetic characters (who they still sometimes want to shake and yell “just talk to each other already!!”) Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Creative Commons: By ...
Aug 13, 2025•37 min•Ep. 201
Your hosts are joined by Krystle Matar to discuss The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. They wonder why no one talks about Gatsby being a crime lord, throw around wild F. Scott conspiracy theories, and rank the characters from least shitty to most shitty. (It's all of them. They're all the most shitty) Find more from Krystle: https://bsky.app/profile/krystlematar.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/drippingbucket.bsky.social https://www.instagram.com/krystlematar/ Find us on Discord / Suppor...
Aug 06, 2025•2 hr 28 min•Ep. 200
Your hosts read Future's Edge by Gareth L. Powell. They talk about post-apocalyptic near futures, love triangles where no one is wrong, and stories that might work better as movies. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License...
Jul 30, 2025•44 min•Ep. 199
Your hosts don’t do justice to The Tombs of Atuan, the second of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea novels, but they DO discuss standalone sequels, the differences in coming of age stories between genders, claustrophobic settings, and classic fantasy. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License...
Jul 23, 2025•33 min•Ep. 198
Your hosts are joined by Andrew Cartmel to discuss Like a Bullet, the latest addition to his nefarious Paperback Sleuth mystery novels. They talk about wartime novels, the allure of ill-begotten Nazi good, and Cordelia’s “go get ‘em, but have a backup plan just in case" approach to encounters. Find more from Andrew: https://reclaimedradio.com/shows/andrew-cartmel/ https://www.instagram.com/vinyldetectivelondon/ https://twitter.com/andrewcartmel?lang=en Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon ...
Jul 09, 2025•45 min•Ep. 197
Your hosts are joined by James Lloyd Dulin to talk about the first book in his recently-completed Malitu Trilogy, No Heart for a Thief. They discuss dark plotlines (but not Dark Fantasy (tm) necessarily), dual stories, and traumatized characters. They also talk about writing plots that criticize colonization as a white person and retrospective character arcs. Your hosts also fail to avoid a double entendre in a question about simultaneous climaxes, but what else is new. Find more from James: htt...
Jul 02, 2025•45 min•Ep. 196
Your hosts discuss A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant. They talk about murder mystery tropes, new (to them) settings, and octogenarian character casts. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License...
Jun 25, 2025•35 min•Ep. 195
Your hosts are joined by Emily Paxman to talk about murder, mayhem, and magic in her debut novel, Death on the Caldera. The conversation ranges from Agatha Christie influences, to complex family dynamics, to who we were rooting for as love interest for our intrepid heroine. They also discuss creating a fantastical version of the 1920s, and volcanic magic. Find more from Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emmypaxman/ https://bsky.app/profile/emmypax.bsky.social https://emmypax.substack.com/ Find us...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 194
Your hosts welcome Laura Elliott to talk about her debut gothic horror novel, Awakened. They discuss unethical medical research, fraught family dynamics, and toxic love triangles. Find more from Laura: https://x.com/TinyWriterLaura https://www.instagram.com/tinymeetsworld/ Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under...
Jun 11, 2025•39 min•Ep. 193
Your hosts read “Walls Of Shira Yulun” by Dariel R.A. Quiogue and “Waste Flowers” by Bryn Hammond, two novellas in Mongol-inspired fantasy settings published in one volume. Your hosts compare how fantasy is integrated into each story, different approaches to fight scenes, and the horrors of war. The only character names Lilly didn't have to look up were for the goats that appear on exactly one page. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their...
Jun 04, 2025•49 min•Ep. 192
Your hosts read Saint Death's Herald, the second book in the Saint Death series. They discuss how much they remembered from book 1, and how that affected their experience with book 2. They also talk about the various relationships (from heartwarming to delightfully toxic) and their favorite animal companions (all of them. Every single animal, dead or alive or just less dead). Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 191
Your hosts are joined by Lilly's cats to discuss Chai and Cat-tales by Lynn Strong. They cover how much they love cats, the unexpected delight of finding recipes in a novel, how much they love cats, inclusive fantasy in a cozy setting, how much they love cats, what makes a romance and finally, how much they love cats. Lilly did cut some of the cat talk, they promise. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “...
May 21, 2025•53 min•Ep. 190
Your hosts welcome C.M. Caplan on to the podcast to chat about The Fall Is All There Is, book one in his scifi/fantasy trilogy Four of Mercies. They talk about his world building process, complicated family dynamics, and unsatisfying violence. Find more from Connor: https://bsky.app/profile/cmcaplanwrites.bsky.social Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for...
May 14, 2025•52 min•Ep. 189
Your hosts discuss San Francisco, intertwining narratives, and the optimism of seeing a community come together against discrimination in Down In the Sea of Angels by Khan Wong. Content warnings for this episode include discussion of sexual assault and sex trafficking. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Cre...
May 07, 2025•36 min•Ep. 188
Your hosts are joined by Stephen Aryan to discuss The Judas Blossom, the first book in his soon to be completed trilogy. They talk about the balance of historical accuracy in a historical-fantasy novel, his inspiration from 13th century Persia, and improbable tomatoes. Find more from Stephen: https://stephen-aryan.com/ https://bsky.app/profile/stephenaryan.bsky.social https://www.instagram.com/stephenaryan_writer/ Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for t...
Apr 30, 2025•45 min•Ep. 187
Your hosts read Artificial Condition, book two in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. Lilly struggles with pronouns, but they still manage to talk about casting for the upcoming tv show. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 186
Your hosts welcome Andrew Cartmel back on to the podcast to chat about Underscore, the latest novel in his cozy crime series The Vinyl Detective. They discuss cinematic inspirations, new characters in established series, and just how hard it is to do bad things to your fictional darlings. Find more from Andrew: https://medwayprideradio.co.uk/show/the-vinyl-detective-show/ https://www.instagram.com/vinyldetectivelondon/ https://twitter.com/andrewcartmel?lang=en Find us on Discord / Support us on ...
Apr 16, 2025•54 min•Ep. 185
Your hosts finally get to read House of Odysseus by Claire North, book two in her Songs of Penelope series. It has been a minute since they read book 1 for their interview with North, so there is some reorienting that needed to be done. They also talk about their nostalgia for Greek Mythology, the new narrator for this book, and the different kinds of power that can be exerted from behind the scenes. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of thei...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 184
Your hosts discuss Murder on the Orient Express, a reread chosen for them by their Patreon supporters as part of the quarterly “Patron’s Choice” selection. They debate whether or not it’s mean to describe a fictional character as “ugly”, talk about racism in the 1930s and in Christie’s work, and chat about the experience of knowing the ending because you’re rereading vs having the ending spoiled for you on a first time read. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musi...
Apr 02, 2025•36 min•Ep. 183
Your hosts discuss how fun it is to see mundane space station jobs in Space Brooms! by A.G. Rodriguez. They talk about the main character’s toxic work environment, and his eventual entanglement in a thrilling space adventure. They also consider the book's mix of humor with unexpectedly graphic violence while enjoying Johnny's relationships (platonic and less platonic), and the intriguing universe Rodriguez has built. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians fo...
Mar 26, 2025•50 min•Ep. 182
Your hosts are joined by Hannah and Laura from OWWR Pod to discuss Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, part of their Nostalgia Book Club series. They talk about how much less weird it would be if the characters were a little older, the dark implications of Ella’s obedience curse, and of course, Anne Hathaway. Find more from On Wednesdays We Read: https://owwrpod.com/ https://bsky.app/profile/owwrpod.bsky.social Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for th...
Mar 19, 2025•56 min•Ep. 181
Your hosts discuss "Shards of Shattered Darkness," a collection of stories by Mark N. Drake. They debate where exactly they think the collection falls on the horror genre spectrum, talk about how the collection works (or doesn't) as a thematic whole, and highlight some of their favorite pieces like "The Grey Berserker" and "Vane Harbor." Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris...
Mar 12, 2025•44 min•Ep. 180
Your hosts discuss Premee Mohamed's latest collection of stories, "One Message Remains," and praise its evocative writing and strong character development. They explore the book's themes of colonization, exploitation, and war, and discuss how the fantasy setting reflects real-world issues. They also appreciate the collection's progression from plot-driven to introspective storytelling, and the portrayal of resistance against oppressive system. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to...
Mar 05, 2025•47 min•Ep. 179
Now with an update! The last ten minutes of this episode are a NEW conversation with Chris about the final novella, Overview Effect. New content starts at 36:33. Your hosts welcome Chris Farnell back on to the podcast to talk about Fermi’s Wake, his new collection of novellas featuring the ragtag crew of the Fermi. They discuss crab-centric evolution, ego driven characters, and confronting readers with complicity via scifi shenanigans. Find more from Chris: https://chrisfarnell.com/ https://bsky...
Feb 26, 2025•48 min•Ep. 178
Your hosts discuss Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers, a new anthology edited by Jendia Gammon and Gareth L. Powell. They talk about enjoying the mix of “new to them” and familiar authors, what makes a story a bummer (complimentary), and the experience of reading a short story that forms part of a larger body of work. Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” Licensed under Creative...
Feb 19, 2025•31 min•Ep. 177
