Craig, Ryan, and Kyle continue through The Hobbit , discussing (we're using that term as broadly as possible here) chapters eight through eleven. Without Stephanie to keep the guys on track, things get ... well let's just say it's not as polished a conversation as she might have helped provide. Together they discuss Mirkwood, giant spiders, elves, barrels, Lake Town, and opening Erebor's back door. TODAY'S SPONSOR: https://www.storyhack.com/ - Click through to get your first issue free Support t...
Sep 03, 2019•46 min•Ep. 243
TBR = "to be read." Most of us have a TBR pile, but some of us can get a bit overwhelmed by it. For this topic, Craig, Ryan, and Kyle are joined by a special guest: YouTube sensation Daniel Greene. (And now we expect him to put "'YouTube sensation' -The Legendarium" in all of his promotional materials.) Together they discuss not only their TBR piles and how they manage them, but also what it means to read deeply and whether that can be done if one is multitasking while working through that giant...
Aug 30, 2019•32 min•Ep. 242
The Blue Team is taking a deep breath before a giant Dresden plunge! In preparation for another spate of Dresden Files episodes coming up, Megan, Kenn, and Todd take stock of where they're at in the series, how they're enjoying, what they're enjoying most, and what they're looking forward to in coming books. Look forward to at least another 4-5 Dresden episodes in the coming weeks! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter...
Aug 26, 2019•50 min•Ep. 241
Craig and Kyle discuss the thing that has kept Kyle off the show for too long now: burnout. It can sneak up on anyone, even the biggest of fans, and they talk about how to combat it. They also address a listener question about how to introduce fantasy to the uninitiated. (Spoiler alert: the answer is "slowly and carefully." Please let us know what you think of us doing more small episodes like this between out main book-centric episodes. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddi...
Aug 24, 2019•33 min•Ep. 240
(Skip to 5:20 to get to actual Lightbringer content.) Our inaugural Lightbringer discussion! If you haven't read this series, now's a good time to start, as it is highly recommended among fiction readers. With good reason, as it turns out. It's just Craig and Ryan for this one! And maybe for a lot of Lightbringer episodes coming up. Hopefully they still like each other when it's done. Anyway, in this episode Craig gives his first impressions on the first half of the book (Ryan's read the series ...
Aug 20, 2019•58 min•Ep. 239
Todd, Megan, Kenn, and Jack are all back for a wrap-up of their discussion of God Emperor of Dune, the fourth book in Frank Herbert's Dune series. And it's time for a brand new drinking game! If you are inclined to imbibe, then toss one back every time you hear the phrase "gross protuberance." Now what was already going to be a good episode just became a lot of fun, because you're living on the edge due to the very real danger of liver failure before the hour is up. Hear more of Jack on the Youn...
Aug 13, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 238
Finally, with the release of Hobbs & Shaw, the 2019 summer movie season can be officially declared over. Craig, Todd, and Ryan simulcast this recording on a YouTube livestream as well, and they talk about a ton of summer media, including Tolkien, John Wick 3, Brightburn, Disney live action remakes, Dark Phoenix, Spider-Man, Toy Story 4, and more. And more. And more. No need to strap in, this is a "chill out, just relax" kind of episode. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Re...
Aug 05, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 237
On this Author's Shelf episode, David Farland joins Craig, Kenn, and Ryan to discuss Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. We discuss a lot of characters and themes, just like normal, but we also get a healthy dose of amazing stories from Dave. You don't want to miss this one. Check out Dave's site and sign up for his newsletter here Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Jul 29, 2019•57 min•Ep. 236
Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie tackle chapters 4-7 of The Hobbit, covering the company's capture by the goblins of the Misty Mountains, Bilbo's solo adventure in Gollum's cave, his rejoining of the company and their eventual escape from the goblins via giant eagle, and the final bit of relaxation before plunging into the most difficult parts of the adventure. This episode was simulcast on YouTube live ( subscribe! ), so Craig was a bit distracted making all the tech work. But enjoy it anyway! Suppor...
Jul 23, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 235
For our first discussion on God Emperor of Dune, Todd and Kenn welcome Jack Butler back to the Legendarium. Jack was previously on episode 220 (a Silmarillion episode) but now he returns to establish his sci-fi bona fides as well his fantasy ones. This is our first of two discussions on the fourth book in Frank Herbert's Dune series, and we hope you enjoy it. Hear more of Jack on the Young Americans podcast Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "...
Jul 15, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 234
Back to Middle-earth! Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie step from the comforts of 19th-century England into the wild world of Faerie. In the first few chapters of The Hobbit, we go from the landed gentry of Bag End to the cockney dockworkers of the Ettenmoors, to the timeless elves of Rivendell. What was initially intended to be the first of three episodes has suddenly become the first of ... five? Six? We'll see! Thanks for joining us. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music:...
Jul 08, 2019•55 min•Ep. 233
For today's Author's Shelf episode, Andrew Klavan asked Craig and Kenn to read Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis. The three of them discuss the incredibly well drawn characters, the devastating emotional climax, and the relief of having a time travel story that -- wouldn't you know it -- actually works! Our thanks to Andrew Klavan for coming on the show, and we hope you'll check out his recent effort, Another Kingdom. Check out Another Kingdom, in PODCAST or BOOK form. Support the show on Patreon ...
Jun 24, 2019•52 min•Ep. 232
The Freaking Shroud of Turin (TM) has gone missing! The Blue Team is thrilled be back in the Dresden Files, following Harry et al through Death Masks , the fifth book in the series. Todd is finally feeling better after being a bit sick through the last few episodes, but Dresden is exactly what he needed as a good pick-me-up. Kenn hits some high notes in his recap, Megan is not looking for a paladin in her life, and the crew answers some Reddit questions. Support the show on Patreon Join the conv...
Jun 17, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 231
Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie are back for one more Night Angel episode, this being the second of two discussions on Brent Weeks's Beyond the Shadows. They talk about the price of Kylar's immortality; the grand finale; and whether Lantano Garuwashi, however great, is even necessary. They also finally answer some reddit questions. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Jun 10, 2019•57 min•Ep. 230
The Blue Team is back! Todd, Megan, and Kenn reunite for a second discussion of Children of Dune. As is becoming clearer and clearer, Kenn and Megan don't exactly share Todd's enthusiasm for the Dune series. But that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to discuss! They'll be back for more Dune in the coming months, but watch for more Dresden coming up between now and then. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www...
Jun 03, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 229
It's a Purple Team episode! Ryan joins Todd and Megan (and Kenn pops in for a subpar recap) to discuss Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. The Amazon-exclusive adaptation is set to hit Prime Video on May 31st, so we figured now was a good time to give this one a try. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
May 28, 2019•46 min•Ep. 228
Craig, Ryan, Stephanie, and author Andy Peloquin discuss Beyond the Shadows, book 3 of Brent Weeks's Night Angel trilogy. They talk about whether fantasy violence is any worse than the real stuff, what Dorian's story teaches us about the corrupting influence of power, and the growth arc of Vi, the former assassin with a heart of gold. Check out Andy Peloquin's books Check out our new merch store! (For 10% off, use promo code PUNCHIN) Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Mu...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 227
Blue Team assemble! Todd, Kenn, and Megan are back with their take on Children of Dune, book 3 in Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi epic. They'll discuss the latest hijinks of that ol' rascal, Emperor Paul Muad'Dib, and Todd will even almost not get emotional. Kenn takes a break from recapping, and Megan isn't even sure she wants in for this episode. SO GOOD. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
May 13, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 226
Five mics, seven panelists, and more bad jokes and worse opinions than you can shake a gauntlet at: we brought every regular panelist in for our mega discussion of Avengers: Endgame. We wade through everyone's takes, some surprising, some not, then at the end of the episode they all find out how well (or poorly!) Craig knows them. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
May 07, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 225
Craig and Kenn, along with a few new friends of the show, recap and review their time at JordanCon 2019. The short of it is: it's a great time, you should go! (To be fair, though, we do offer a few minor pieces of critical feedback along the way.) The long of it is ... well, the episode. So listen in and enjoy, especially if you enjoy a bit of vicarious living. GUESTS: Check out Daniel Green's YouTube channel Check out Drew McCaffrey on the Inking Out Loud YouTube channel Support the show on Pat...
Apr 30, 2019•37 min•Ep. 224
Todd, Kenn, and Megan discuss Summer Knight, book 4 of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, complete with a classic Kenn recap. It might be somewhat polarizing among fans, but all three panelists had quite a lot of fun with this book, which easily spills over into their discussion. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Apr 15, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 223
Todd, Megan, and Kenn are joined by newcomer Alex to finish their discussion of Dune Messiah, book 2 of Frank Herbert's Dune series. They discuss Paul's legacy, a disappointing lack of worm races, and respond to Reddit questions and comments, like whether saving humanity is even a worthy goal. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Apr 08, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 222
Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie are back for the second installment of their discussion of Shadow's Edge, the second book in Brent Weeks's Night Angel trilogy. As promised, much of the talk revolves around the sexuality in the book. Also on the docket: Craig hates "the moral of the story," Ryan likes the hero here more than the one in the Farseer trilogy, and Stephanie understands all the hair issues. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven S...
Apr 02, 2019•58 min•Ep. 221
Ryan and Craig welcome two guests to discuss "Of Turin Turambar," the most relentlessly gloomy story in Tolkien's entire oeuvre. And they even have some fun while they're at it! Kip Rasmussen, the Tolkien illustrator who joined us on our first Silmarillion episode, returns after a four-year absence. Jack Butler, a first-time guest, is a podcaster and writer in Washington, D.C. Purchase Kip's amazing prints at KipRasmussen.com Listen to Jack Butler on Young Americans or The Remnant with Jonah Gol...
Mar 25, 2019•56 min•Ep. 220
Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie take an entire hour to synopsize Shadow's Edge, book two of Brent Weeks's Night Angel Trilogy. Over the course of their synopsis, they discuss whether it's a good idea for an author to peek through the fourth wall; how enjoyable they found the love story; and what Logan's time in the hole teaches us about the Enlightenment.
Mar 19, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 219
Megan, Todd, and Kenn are back for their first discussion of Dune Messiah, the second of Frank Herbert's original Dune books. Kenn comes armed with his traditional Kennified recap, and Todd lays the smackdown on Megan's opinion. You'll find out why, over and over again, but this episode might as well be sponsored by Spartan races. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Mar 13, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 218
Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie welcome author Griffin Stark to continue their discussion of The Way of Shadows, book 1 of the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks. After mostly talking about the characters in the last episode, this time we get into the meat of the story itself. They also have a whole segment on a word that doesn't get thrown around much on this podcast. Check out Griffin Stark's book here Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seve...
Mar 05, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 218
Wrapping up our discussion of Frank Herbert's Dune , James Jakins returns and joins Todd, Megan, and Kenn to talk about Part 3. (Book 3? Tome 3?) In this episode, we get to more Reddit questions, and chat about the adaptations, both previous and forthcoming. Donate to Andrew Lobley's leukemia charity here: http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/andrewlobley1 Check out James Jakins at http://jamesjakins.com/ Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "Th...
Feb 25, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 217
Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie discuss The Way of Shadows, the first of the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks. This is the first of two episodes on the book, and this one is mostly spent discussing the primary and secondary characters. Is Momma K a role model? Are we meant to like Durzo Blint? Is Elene a satisfying match for Kylar? We'll get to even more in part 2 of our discussion, set for release in a couple weeks. Thanks for listening. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit ...
Feb 18, 2019•50 min•Ep. 216
The time is finally here! Dune is among the titles most requested by our listeners, so it's our pleasure to finally read and discuss it. Todd, Megan, and guest-editor Kenn are joined by author James Jakins to talk about Frank Herbert's classic, including whether the world's best-selling sci-fi novel is ... actually a fantasy novel. As per usual, some of the panelists are brand-new to Dune, while others are old acquaintances with it. Luckily, all of them have opinions. Check out James Jakins at h...
Feb 13, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 215
