Its been a dark year and a series of serious, moody novels. So Duncan has gone and turned it around with the softest, fluffiest thing he could think of: The Moomins. Since all Geordie knows about these strange white hippo people is that weirdos on Twitter got really into them during the pandemic, Duncan takes the lead this time. He directs Geordie through the pastoral loveliness, as well as some surprise queer readings of the book.They also cover the Duke of Edinburgh awards, why did Elric show up in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, how exactly do you use the Monkey Paw, and what exactly was Moomin Papa doing at the Siege of Leningrad?
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1:14:23
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1:14:23
The Sheepfarmer's Daughter - The Deed of Paksenarrion
It was a gruelling forced march through this monster of a book. Geordie may have brought Elizabeth Moon's 1980s fantasy epic to the table, but can they stomach it? The fellas unpack an early depiction of a female fantasy heroine, in a faithful (perhaps too faithful) depiction of soldierly life by a Marine Corps veteran. They unpack the strange mingling of the drudgery of soldierly life, with an unusually grittless depiction of military honour. Some of the characters are so forgettable that Geordie even forgets the author's name at one point, whilst Duncan would rather talk about Doctor Who.
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1:37:00
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1:37:00
John Carter: A Princess of Mars
The fellas are going way back for this one, all the way back to 1912. A bad year to be a cruise ship, but maybe a good year to be a fan of science fantasy adventures? They're reviewing perhaps one of the most influential books they've ever seen on the podcast. Before Howard, before Lovecraft and C.L. Moore. Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars, the first appearance of John Carter.The fellas discuss the adventure, the very early attempt at fantasy worldbuilding, and of course.... the racism. Duncan takes a crack shot at historical revisionists, whilst Geordie hones on the idea of the Noble Savage.
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1:22:00
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1:22:00
The Last Graduate
We're back in the Scholomance! At long last Geordie ran out of patience waiting for Duncan to choose the sequel to Naomi Novik's Deadly Education and has forced his hand with a destiny token! They pick up their school supplies and see what on earth they can remember about a book series they began two years ago.Here's a list of things they forgot: what the main character's full name was, her age and ethnicity, and what's Chloe's deal anyway?See whether the sequel lived up to the high expectations of the first, or whether it fell to senioritis, and hear what Duncan and Geordie make of the book's change of pace, romance, twists, and rather abrupt ending.
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1:34:15
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1:34:15
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
In their second episode ever, the fellas reviewed Geordie's favourite book: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. Now, years later, they are finally returning to see her most famous work: Daughter of Smoke and Bone. They discuss the transition between paranormal romances and modern romantasy, whether to read this book before or after Strange the Dreamer, its fascinating wish-based magic, and Duncan stirs up a brand new contraversy with his choice for the next book.Notes for the episode: Duncan had some small errors with his microphone which flare up occassionally during the episode. Also, Duncan asked Geordie when we could expect the next book from Taylor, literally the day after she announced her next book, and neither of them knew.
The book club where we review all things fantasy! Join Duncan and Geordie as they embark on a quest to track the breadth and history of the fantasy genre, one epic at the time.
Whether you're a fan of book-stopper tomes like Duncan, or lighter YA fantasy like Geordie, we want you to read-along with us. Episodes are released every two weeks, giving you enough to read the book (or skim the synopsis if you're just here for the banter.)
Ireland