Blue Team is back for a quick dip back into Dresden before taking a more extended break from it for a while. But what an interesting time the Blue Team has had with it! From a "yeah I guess we'll read this because the listeners seem to want us to" series to a "oh my word this is really really good" series, it's been a pretty wild ride through Dresden so far. Thanks for hanging in there with us. And yes, we will finish the whole series! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit ...
Jan 06, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 273
Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie finally get back on the horse and continue their discussions of Brent Weeks's Lightbringer series. This time they cap off book 3, The Broken Eye . Where do Andross's loyalties lie? What will Teia do with/for the Order of the Broken Eye? Will Kip and Teia ever get together? Does Stephanie hate hot girls in books? Only one way to find out! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.phil...
Jan 03, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 272
Craig, Stephanie, and Kyle are back for the final installment of our podcast series on The Hobbit . In this episode, we talk about chapters 15 through 19, including Bilbo's theft of the Arkenstone, the Battle of the Five Armies, and the return journey home. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Dec 30, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 271
Craig, Ryan, Megan, Kenn, and Todd crowd around the mics to give you what you all need: another podcast of people chatting about the new Star Wars movie. It is our inevitable destiny that we'll do a minimum of one Star Wars episode every year until the end of time, so here we are again. We're finally (maybe?) putting the Skywalker saga to bed, and we give it quite the send-off, with nearly 90 minutes of argument, conjecture, and horrible, forced Star Wars puns. (ha.) Support the show on Patreon ...
Dec 24, 2019•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 270
Pretty much what the title says! During our latest YouTube livestream Craig, Kenn, and Megan sat down and spun the Wheel of Tangents. Megan updates the group on her progress in The Wheel of Time; Craig gives his first impressions of both N.K. Jemisin and Joe Abercrombie; and Kenn holds forth on The Mandalorian. They talked about a wide variety of subjects, obviously, but the real takeaway here, as you'll see, is that Kenn and Megan don't see nearly enough movies. Support the show on Patreon Join...
Dec 16, 2019•38 min•Ep. 269
Craig dons his elbow patches so that he and Kyle can continue their Hobbit adventure, this time talking about the Smaug chapters: that is, chapters 12 through 14. They talk about Smaug, of course, but also about the Arkenstone, the relationship of these scenes to others in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien's meditations on greed. Ever wondered why Smaug was so ticked off that the villagers of Lake Town had destroyed their bridges? Listen and find out! Support the show on Patre...
Dec 09, 2019•53 min•Ep. 268
Of all the authors we've covered on the show, whose works would we remove from existence? What takes you out of a book the quickest? How important are maps to fantasy stories? Kyle and Craig tackle these and many other burning questions on today's Wheel of Tangents. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Dec 06, 2019•44 min•Ep. 267
Blue Team has finally given in to the true crime podcast craze: a serial killer is on the loose in the Dresdenverse, and Harry is on the case. Megan, Todd, and Kenn take on White Night, the ninth book in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. And between the White Court, debates of free will, and Lasciel's coin, there's plenty of discussion to be had. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Nov 26, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 266
The Wheel of Time is back! Craig and Kyle (and eventually Ryan) are joined by Drew and Lauren McCaffrey, Wheel of Time experts both, to spin the Wheel of Tangents--all WoT related. Together they discuss the upcoming show, tugged braids and smoothed skirts, and in-world swearing. A relaxed, wildly self-indulgent 40 minutes, but one that we hope you enjoy. Listen to Drew on the Inking Out Loud podcast Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of h...
Nov 23, 2019•42 min•Ep. 265
It's been long enough, time to get back on that oar! Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie discuss chapters 1-55 of The Broken Eye, book 3 in Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series. Lots of questions this time around: Are we spending enough time with our villains? Is "fake it 'til you make it" a real thing? What is the most touching of human gestures? Is Ryan a monster for not laughing at Craig's best jokes? Listen and find out! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" ...
Nov 18, 2019•58 min•Ep. 264
Turns out that Utah, the home of the Legendarium, is the nerdiest place in America. To us, that just feels correct -- nerdery is the water in which we fish swim here. But the real question today is why ? So Craig and Kenn brought in the big guns: Krissie Holifield, from the I Am Salt Lake podcast. Together they talk religion, drugs, geography, and grasp at any other straw they can to explain why Utah is the ultimate home for nerds. Check out the I Am Salt Lake podcast The Nerdiest State In Ameri...
Nov 15, 2019•39 min•Ep. 263
It's a Dresdendum! Fear not, your pleas have not fallen on deaf ears. Todd and Kenn return to talk more Proven Guilty. After the previous episode, they (and the listeners shouting politely on Reddit) knew there was simply too much left unsaid. So they're here to un-unsay it. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Nov 08, 2019•38 min•Ep. 262
Blue Team is back with another Dresden Files episode! Seems like they're kicking them out faster than you can say "xenomorphic phobophage." This time around, it's book 8: Proven Guilty. In this installment, Harry's dealing with happenings at SplatterCon!!!,Todd's dealing with the weight of his own emotions (again), and the Blue Team's dealing with the question of whether the Dresden Files has taken up too much real estate in their hearts. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Redd...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 261
Do video game movies always suck? Maybe not. But they're never actually good , either. Why is that? Craig and Kyle are joined by Adam Sherlock from Deep Dive Film School to spend, oh...maybe 5 minutes teasing out the answer to the question at hand, and 45 minutes just laughing about terrible video game movies. Check out Sherlock's show, Deep Dive Film School, in audio or video form. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philte...
Nov 01, 2019•51 min•Ep. 260
The Ladies of the Legendarium are back! And this time, Stephanie, Megan, and Kate are joined by Sara Hanks to discuss Michael Ende's classic book, The Neverending Story. There's laughing and crying, and a whole lot of love -- old and new -- for this particular book. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Oct 28, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 259
Brent Weeks, bestselling author of the Lightbringer and Night Angel series, joins Craig and Ryan for another installment of the Author's Shelf series. Brent chose The Odyssey, and actually apologizes for making the podcast look pretentious, as though Craig didn't relish a bit of pretension. If you're looking to learn something new about The Odyssey, you're in luck! Because there are lots of other podcasts where you can do that. But if you're looking for a fun, lighthearted discussion about it, t...
Oct 25, 2019•53 min•Ep. 258
Two things to note about this episode: First, talking about a book like this without any spoilers has challenges, but those can be overcome. And second, turns out we're not necessarily capable of overcoming said challenges. Oh well, it's still fun to celebrate Weeks Week and the release of The Burning White. It's the culmination of the Lightbringer series, which we're in the middle of reviewing with full spoilers, but we thought we'd break in during release week of this one to give you a few tho...
Oct 21, 2019•33 min•Ep. 257
Weeks Week begins on Monday with the release of The Burning White, but we thought we'd get a jump on it by airing a few minutes of Brent Weeks spinning The Wheel of Tangents. Brent answers eight questions scientifically designed in a lab to help us get to know one of our favorite authors a little bit better. (Narrator: "There was, in fact, no lab.") Enjoy! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Oct 18, 2019•12 min•Ep. 256
The book so nice, they discussed it twice! The Blue Team is back for a second conversation about Dead Beat , the seventh book in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. Megan, Todd, and Kenn talk about what it means for Harry to have true friends; how characters have reminded each other of their value; and Craig pops in to tell the panel why he's so thoroughly enjoying their Dresden episodes. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" cou...
Oct 14, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 255
Time travel, multiverse, cryosleep, wormholes, insect aliens, utopian and dystopian futures, and many more: Craig, Kenn, and Kyle shoot the breeze for a half hour about their favorite sci-fi tropes. Honestly, not much more to it than that, but it's laying the foundation for the Blue Team to move back toward sci-fi very soon, with a series quasi-announcement that should have many listeners feeling excited. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtes...
Oct 11, 2019•38 min•Ep. 254
Blue Team is back with another discussion on The Dresden Files, this time on the seventh installment: Dead Beat . Kenn's back with his recap, Megan somehow didn't see the zombie dinosaur coming, and Todd wears horrifically tight pants. There's a lot to get through in this one, so buckle up for ... well, pretty much the same kind of Blue Team episode you've come to expect. You'll just get another one later! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "T...
Oct 07, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 253
How much can we -- or should we -- separate art from the artist? Which stories would end the fastest if the protagonist weren't an idiot? What kind of music is best for reading? Craig, Kyle, and Todd take on these questions and more as they spin the Wheel of Tangents this week. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Oct 04, 2019•46 min•Ep. 252
Where do we draw the line between cynicism and credulity? Is the brand of psychopathy on display by Zymun recognizable in our lives? Are we letting our internal "Kip #2" win out over our internal "Kip#1"? Ryan, Craig, and Stephanie sit down to hash out the second half of The Blinding Knife, book 2 in the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Sep 30, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 251
Craig and Kyle spin the wheel! Today's topics include the best way to consume books (audio vs e-reader vs dead trees); why Death of the Author is generally a stupid theory; and what they like to read outside of the sci-fi/fantasy genres. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Sep 27, 2019•49 min•Ep. 250
It's a divisive entry in the Dresden Files: Blood Rites , Jim Butcher's sixth installment in the series, apparently isn't for everyone. So did our Blue Team enjoy it? Todd, Kenn, and Megan will get down and dirty in their discussion of the book whose plot revolves around problems on a porn set. Oh yeah, speaking of which: the plot of this book revolves around a porn set, thus the discussion during this episode revolves around a plot that revolves around a porn set. Driving in the car with your k...
Sep 23, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 249
Craig and Megan spin the Fantasy Wheel! We took several listener suggestions for topics and chose a few of them to speak about for a few minutes. Topics include: whether we can judge books objectively; fantasy speed dating; overused tropes; and our favorite antagonists. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Sep 20, 2019•33 min•Ep. 248
Which is the higher good, freedom or power? Is there any nuance to be had in a discussion of the evil of slavery? Are rich people just the worst? Today we're talking through the first half of The Blinding Knife, the second book in Brent Weeks's Lightbringer series. This episode is chock full of heavy stuff -- and fun stuff! -- to talk about, and we’ll get to … well, at least some of it. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" court...
Sep 16, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 247
This episode will be best heard if you can see those works of Miranda's that we reference, over at MirandaMeeks.com . Miranda is an artist whose work frequently graces the covers -- and sometimes pages -- of Brandon Sanderson's books, as well as other novels. (Several prints adorn the walls of our studio, in fact.) Her style is at once dark, accessible, and unique, and on top of that she is a wonderful conversational partner. Listen in, I think you'll enjoy this interview. Get updates about Mira...
Sep 13, 2019•28 min•Ep. 246
Craig, Ryan, and Stephanie discuss the second half of Brent Weeks's The Black Prism , book 1 in the Lightbringer series. After a long setup in the first half, we get a lot of interesting questions and moments to chew on. Why is this book titled The Black Prism ? Is it actually awful that the Chromeria expects a high price from their ranks of drafters? What exactly is a turtle-bear? And Craig makes at least one bold prediction for the rest of the series. Support the show on Patreon Join the conve...
Sep 09, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 245
This episode is truly a first: the first time we've ever read a historical action comedy horror parody of a 19th century classic. Oh, and it's also our first-ever ladies-only show! Stephanie and Megan welcome newcomer Kate to the Legendarium and together the three of them dissect (eww) this fun, hilarious, sometimes gory, sometimes touching book. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/...
Sep 06, 2019•51 min•Ep. 244
