June 19, 2025 • 59 mins
What happens when a legendary dragon slayer is sent to kill a dragon in a kingdom where dragons are revered, not feared? And what if that dragon turns out to be connected to the kingdom's mysterious and captivating ruler? These questions lie at the heart of Neon Yang's "Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame," our Pride Month selection that sparked passionate debate among our hosts.
From the moment we dive into this 176-page fantasy novella, we're divided on whether Yang successfully delivers a complete story within such tight constraints. Some of us found the Asian-influenced fantasy world richly developed despite its brevity, praising the poetic writing style and creative approach to dragon lore. Others felt the worldbuilding resembled "a house of cards" – impressive at first glance but lacking the depth needed for true immersion.
The romance between Yeva, the armored guild knight who hasn't removed her mask since childhood, and Lady Suki, the enigmatic ruler of a dragon-worshipping kingdom, forms the emotional core of the story. While some hosts appreciated the subtle development of their relationship, others questioned whether the novella format allowed enough space for a convincing emotional journey. Our spirited discussion explores whether their connection feels earned or merely convenient to the plot, particularly as Yeva faces the ultimate choice between duty and desire.
Perhaps most fascinating is our exploration of Yang's were-dragon concept, which cleverly reimagines traditional monster tropes through a distinctly feminine lens. The revelation about Lady Suki's monthly "blood illness" proved to be one of the novella's most memorable and thought-provoking elements, demonstrating how fantasy can transform familiar experiences into something magical and unexpected.
Whether you enjoy compact fantasy tales or prefer more expansive worldbuilding, our balanced analysis will help you decide if this queer fantasy novella deserves a place on your Pride Month reading list. And don't miss our hosts' exciting mid-year reading recommendations as we look ahead to a second half of 2023 packed with highly anticipated fantasy romance releases!
Links from the News Segment and Show:
- The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is getting the Owlcrate treatment
- Fabled Fantasy Events has started doing Romantasy Retreats, first is Savannah GA
- Paramount adapting Divine Rivals into a movie, Sofia Alvarez will be writing the script
- Tor publishing is rereleasing T. Kingfisher’s Nine Goblins
- The Graphic Audio for Laura Thalassa’s Pestilence is out now
- Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles to be an animated film, Nov 3, 2028 release date
- June is LGBTQ+ Pride month
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Instagram - @ofswordsandsoulmates
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/ofswordsandsoulmates
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ashley (00:00):
Views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the
participants.
The hosts make no claim to beliterary experts and their
opinions are exactly thatopinions.
All creative works discussed orreviewed are the intellectual
property of the creators of saidstories and is being used under
the fair use doctrine.
Mari (00:29):
Welcome to Of Swords and Soulmates, a podcast where we
read, watch and discussromanticist stories.
I'm one of your hosts, mari,and with me I have Kelly.
Jonathan (00:34):
Hey everyone, it's Kelly.
We also have Ashley.
Ashley (00:37):
Hey guys, it's Ashley.
We also have Jonathan.
Jonathan (00:39):
What's good everybody, it's JP.
How are we doing today?
Mari (00:43):
Good, good, good.
We have a whole lot of news.
So, uh, today we're going to bediscussing brighter than scale,
swifter than flame by neon yang, but first all the news we
don't have.
I mean, we don't have a ton,it's like the most we've done,
but we've got a good bit.
I didn't think we had a lot ofnews and I started putting it
together and, yeah, there's alot of news.
(01:06):
First thing is the the enchantedgreenhouse by sarah beth durst,
which is the kind of sequel tospell shop that we read.
It's not really a sequelbecause she's she says it's set
in the same world but it can beread as a standalone, so she's
not calling it a sequel, butanyways it's getting the owl
crate special edition treatment.
So they're doing like a fancycover with fancy edges and
(01:28):
designed you know end pages andall that mess.
It's 34.99, it ships inmid-august and it will be
available to the general publicon june 26th at 11 am pacific
time to buy if you areinterested it looks beautiful it
does a different, different artlike yeah, definitely the
(01:49):
painted edges with the flowersand the yeah, and I like this.
Jonathan (01:53):
This is it.
You know what it reminds me of?
It reminds me of what are thoselike pennsylvania dutch hexes.
Is that what it is?
Ashley (02:00):
how would I know the answer to that?
Jonathan (02:03):
People in Pennsylvania Eagles fans?
I think it might be, maybe it'snot, it might not be limited to
Pennsylvania Dutch, it could beMennonite, I don't know.
Let me just see what.
Let me bring it.
Ashley (02:17):
Yeah, you're doing the thing.
Where you're talking, the wordsare words.
Jonathan (02:20):
And we know, what the words mean.
Yeah, but we don't.
We don't.
We don't know where to try andget at pennsylvania.
Dutch hex signs are colorfulfolk art symbols traditionally
painted on barns and homes andbelieved to bring good luck and
protection oh yeah, that lookslike very folk style.
Mari (02:38):
Okay, yeah, I like it, I.
I I've already pre-ordered theregular version, so I think I'm
going to stick with that,because it matches the you know
spell shop that I have so bigmatchy, matchy, matchy fan.
But it's pretty, it's verypretty.
Oh, yeah, definitely fantasyevents, which is doing the
(03:01):
Romanacy Con that we went tolast year and that is happening
this year in Orlando in Octoberthat Rebecca Yaros and a bunch
of other people are going to.
They have started doingRomanacy retreats, yeah, so the
first one is in Savannah,georgia, at the Gastonian.
The authors for this one aregoing to be Adeline Grace and
Kaylee Smith and they'vedescribed it as there's going to
(03:22):
be book discussions, arts andcrafts games, tarot cards
readings, a private ghost tourand more.
Ashley (03:28):
You basically have to sign A ghost tour.
Mari (03:30):
Yeah, because it's Savannah.
It's a very Savannah thingthey're going to do.
Basically, you're signing upand it's like the food is
included, all the meals areincluded and the hotel stay.
When I looked today earlier,there was one slot slot, one
type of slot available, and itwas eighteen hundred dollars
what how many days?
You know, I didn't, I didn'tsee how many days I'm gonna be
(03:52):
like a week.
Ashley (03:53):
Yeah, that's a lot of money.
Jonathan (03:55):
I think the gastonians , like I'm callie, you've been
to savannah more than I have inthe gastonian, like downtown
ritzy fancy hotel yeah yeah, Ithink it's like historic in
savannah, so yeah but it's aretreat right, so it's like
everything's accounted for rightthe food is accounted for and
all those events, that yeah,it's all, it's all included.
Mari (04:14):
So it's like a mini intensive con, I guess, with
those people, like if there wasan art, an author that I was
really excited about, you knowthat that would be kind of
interesting, maybe you know nowthat I have anything against
these authors, I just don't knowtheir works there's.
Jonathan (04:29):
It includes a book with custom sprayed edges.
Uh, book, themed, themed craftslike there's a lot going on
yeah for, for those, for thethose, uh, for that money yeah
you know it's, and I think if Ialmost not so not like the live
action role play stuff, but likethose, almost like a cruise,
(04:50):
then right, that's what I wasthinking.
Mari (04:52):
It feels like a like a cruise type setup as far as how
they're doing it minus the boatright yeah, instead of being
stuck in a boat, you're stuck in, I guess, a historic hotel in
savannah, you know.
I mean like it's a.
It it's a destination thing,because a lot of people go to
Savannah for vacation stuff LikeOld Savannah is like a big
tourist destination for people.
Jonathan (05:13):
So you have what are the dates?
Mari (05:15):
Let's see.
Yeah, I think I haven't seenanything about it.
Payments are going to be.
Is this the payments, or youcan split it up into three
payments June 15th, july 15thand August 15th.
Okay, but when is the actualevent?
Jonathan (05:28):
It looks like they start at 1500.
Mari (05:30):
Those are all sold out.
Jonathan (05:32):
Those are all sold out .
Yeah Dang.
Mari (05:33):
Yeah, you know, it doesn't have a date on their website.
Jonathan (05:36):
But it doesn't say like the yeah what happens when
you go to to book what's open Isee a sign up option it doesn't
let me click anything is thehoneymoon suite available?
Mari (05:49):
august the 21st 2025.
Thursday, august 21st 2025 Iguess that's the first day I
think this would be a.
Jonathan (05:57):
This would be a cool event to do in the fall in salem
oh, it would be ridiculous todo in salem like salem is
gorgeous.
Mari (06:08):
I don't know that I would want to go to salem in the fall.
Jonathan (06:10):
It is so jam-packed yeah, I mean, I agree, I just
like, if we talk, like thinkingalong thematic lines, oh yeah,
it would be interesting to do it, if you know, if there was a
theme to the author.
Mari (06:25):
Do you know what I mean?
Like if the author tended towrite things that happen in a
particular area, it would becool to do one of these in that
area.
Jonathan (06:33):
Oh, yeah, good call.
Mari (06:35):
You know, like I'm thinking I know this is not what
they're doing but like, oh myGod, I've completely blanked out
.
The wizard books we weretalking about last time.
Um, those take place in chicago.
So like a thing like that wouldbe cool in chicago yeah, that's
where the, the books are set,that's where the series is set,
like that kind of a thing wouldbe interesting, gotcha or, like
(06:55):
juliet cross does, a series neworleans, new orleans yeah, well,
don't give me an excuse to gonew orleans I.
I am down for New Orleans period, but yeah, that would be a real
interesting thing to do, like aNew Orleans retreat thing with
Juliet Cross.
Yeah.
Jonathan (07:15):
Juliet, if you're listening.
Mari (07:17):
Juliet or Fable Fantasy.
Get on that.
Somebody get on that.
Yes.
Jonathan (07:24):
Send the royalties check over to us for that idea.
Ashley (07:29):
Jk, jk, yeah I think what's really interesting about
this, too, is the size of it.
So I mean, if you look at,there's only it only seems to be
about 15 rooms that areavailable in this whole list,
and so it's like two people perroom kind of thing.
So you're, you're talking aboutless than what a hundred people
probably that are gonna bedoing this thing.
(07:51):
So I mean, the the inflatedcost is is also because of how
small, right, right, they'rekeeping this.
Mari (08:00):
You're getting lots of time with the authors and with
like, really immersed in beingwith them.
You know what I mean.
So if it's somebody that Ireally was one of my favorite
authors, I think that would beinteresting to do.
It might be worth it.
You know what I mean.
So you'd have to be a fan,which I think is the point is,
you know, for those authors toget to interact with fans that
(08:22):
are very into it and be able toreally build on each other's
energy.
You know.
Ashley (08:28):
Yeah, it's a great concept, I just think it's it's
a little too expensive for me.
Jonathan (08:35):
I agree, I agree, but you like to ball on a budget.
Ashley (08:38):
Yeah, I'm very, very cheap.
I mean, you start to thinkabout it depending on how many
days it is.
Mari (08:51):
Savannah is an expensive town.
It's a tourist town, so you'vegot breakfast, lunch, dinner,
you know.
Subtract that out from the costtimes, however many days,
you're already bringing theprice down a little bit.
You know what I mean yeah, so alot of times when things like
that I thought it was expensiveand then I started reading like
everything was kind of includedand I'm like you know it very
much.
Is that cruise model?
You know you, when you payeverything ahead of time and
then once you get there you justenjoy it, you don't have to
(09:12):
then like pay for things afterthe fact yeah, if you're talking
about a three-day kind of event, you know 1800 split up between
that.
Ashley (09:20):
I I see, I see the vision right and and I
appreciate the concept and, likeyou said, maybe depending on
the author, it's probablysomething I might have been more
interested in, and not thatthese authors aren't, you know,
big.
These are some pretty decentsized names.
Mari (09:37):
Yeah, I recognize the names.
I've just never read any oftheir works.
Ashley (09:40):
Yeah, I don't think.
I thought we isn't Kaylee SmithPhantasmal or no, I don't know.
I thought we isn't Kaylee SmithPhantasmal or no, I don't know.
Yeah, kaylee Smith, phantasmal,didn't you read that?
I read it.
Yeah, I read that one.
Mari (09:52):
I just forgot it was her.
Ashley (09:54):
You might look at me differently after that one.
Mari (09:58):
I'm going to apologize for any audio issues that are
happening.
I looked and it was notsupposed to rain today and this
room is very loud.
Yeah, we have skylights andthey're beautiful, but then when
it rains it's also beautiful tolook at, but you hear it like
we had a tin roof and we don't,but it sounds like it, so some
of that will probably comethrough in the audio.
It will go away soon, I hope,because it wasn't supposed to
(10:20):
rain at all.
Jonathan (10:21):
So no worries.
Mari (10:24):
Yeah, so I thought that was an interesting branch out
for Fabled Fantasy.
I hope it works for them andthey're able to do more with
different authors and things,because, even if it's not
something that I may necessarilydo, I think it'd be an
interesting opportunity for lotsof people to do, because
there's people who maybecouldn't come to the con or
whatever because it's the timeof year or because they weren't
(10:46):
able to get tickets fast enough,that kind of thing.
But something like this theycan kind of plan out for ahead
of time if it ends up beingsomething they do often, yeah.
Ashley (10:54):
Look at them, yep, growing wings and flying, and
this is a whole new thing.
Jonathan (11:01):
It really is.
Mari (11:03):
Speaking of Fable Fantasy, they're still announcing
authors, right they are, oh yeah, yeah, so pretty soon we're
going to need to get to where westart reading some of the
authors and we're just going tohave to hope that the ones we
pick stay.
Ashley (11:17):
We need to know who we love ahead of time.
Right, right.
Mari (11:21):
Which a lot of the authors that are going to be there this
time we've actually havealready read, either because of,
just in general, some of thestuff we've read for the podcast
or some of the ones that aregoing to be back from last year.
So it'll be interesting.
It'll be interesting to seewhat we think of this year's
crop, Paramount.
Paramount is adapting divinerivals into a movie.
(11:44):
Divine rivals is by RebeccaRoss.
It's very well like,recommended, very well reviewed.
I've not read it, but I know alot of people really like it.
Had you read it, ash.
Ashley (11:55):
I did this.
I don't, I thought the first,so there's more than one book.
Jonathan (12:01):
Let me take a second.
Sorry, my brain is.
I think it's a duology newinformation.
Ashley (12:05):
I think it's a duology, but there there's definitely at
least two books.
I have not read the second book.
I did read the first book I'mcurious about.
I mean a movie's probably thecorrect route.
I don't think this was a veryum action-packed book by any
means, although there is a warsituation that's happening in
this world, it's an interestingconcept from the story
(12:29):
perspective, because it's alittle.
There's definitely fantasyelements in how they communicate
is what it is.
So I don't know how I feelabout this because I don't
remember.
I don't want to say that I wasbored.
I think that's very mean.
I wasn't bored.
I definitely finished the book.
I don't know how, maybe it will.
It will communicate better, youknow, in on the screen than it
(12:51):
did for me in the book yeah, andsometimes sometimes that
happens I haven't read it.
Mari (12:56):
Have either of you guys read it jonathan and kelly I
haven't read it.
Jonathan (12:59):
No, it's um.
The cover looks jonathan andkelly.
Have you guys read divine?
Mari (13:03):
rivals?
I have not, although the coverlooks Jonathan and Kelly.
Have you guys read DivineRivals?
Jonathan (13:06):
I have not, although the cover looks super familiar.
I feel like I've been in everyTarget that I've been in.
This book is on the shelfsomewhere it's everywhere.
Mari (13:16):
It really is, Ash.
Correct me if I'm wrong,because I've not read it.
Isn't it almost like a WorldWar II kind of setting, like a
historical kind of feel to it?
Ashley (13:26):
Yeah, that's probably a good explanation, but it's also
futuristic at the same time.
You know, like time stamp it,but it is definitely that
feeling you know pre cell phonesand you know computers and
(13:50):
things like that.
Um, yeah, it's been a while.
I'm really trying to remember.
Um, it was probably not toolong after the first book came
out, because I remember it beingvery soon for the second book
to come out and it kind of itdoes actually kind of leave on a
little bit of a cliffhanger, ifI remember.
So everybody emotionallyprepare for that.
(14:10):
Um, yeah, I mean, a lot ofthings sometimes translate
better on tv or in the moviesthan they do in a book.
I wasn't particularly likesuper excited for book two.
I wasn't like chomping at thebit, but it wasn't a bad story.
It was just a very like mellowstory, if that makes sense, and
it's ya and slow burn and or youknow like yeah, literally like
(14:33):
young adult.
I think they were like 18, 19.
Mari (14:36):
It wasn't a bad story though the script for the movie
is going to be written by sofiaalvarez, so we'll see.
We'll see how that translatesto visual media who's sofia
alvarez?
I have no idea.
It just said in the news thinglike I don't know what else
she's done.
Oh cool, I thought you werelike in the know.
Ashley (14:54):
I'm sorry, I had started to read about this is sofia, I
think it said, and I had to backout of it, so my phone's being
weird, sorry, but I think, um,it was saying that the team that
helped with the is it all theboys I loved, or something like
that the tv show.
Mari (15:13):
Yeah, oh, that was pretty good yeah, divine rival.
Ashley (15:18):
Sorry, I did have it up and then I got distracted by
something.
Yeah, so sofia alvarez is ascribe behind the first two to
all the boys I've loved beforefilms which are based on the
books by Jenny Han.
So Sophia will write the filmscript for the studio.
She made her directorial debutwith the Netflix film adaptation
of Sarah Dessen's along for theride, which is also another big
(15:42):
.
I don't know if she'sconsidered romance.
I think there's a bit moredrama involved with her books,
but sarah dustin is also a bigname in the book world, so I I
feel good about that, because II have seen several of the to
all the boys I've loved beforefilms and I thought those were
very, very good, interestingspeaking of adaptations of books
(16:03):
, this I didn't put this in thenotes, but the black dagger
brotherhood series that wasadapted to tv for the series for
black passion flicks came outlast week.
Mari (16:17):
Last thursday.
I watched it.
I read the first book.
I also watched it.
Um, I thought it was well done.
I don't know if anyone else butme has seen this.
I happen okay, I thought it waswell done um for it being like a
vampire story um kind of set inthe 90s.
Um, there was a lot ofopportunities for it to get real
(16:37):
hokey real fast, especiallywhen the main character is kind
of modeled after p Steele ofTypo Negative, which very
generic goth of the 90s kind ofvibe.
But I thought they did a reallygood job.
I'm looking forward to the nextone.
Jonathan (16:52):
All right, that reminds me not to go too deep
into a tangent, but I know wewere maybe discussing some
additional content for futureepisodes.
What about Buffy the VampireSlayer, the movie It'sy the
vampire?
Mari (17:07):
slayer the movie.
It's been forever since Iwatched the movie.
I watched it at the movietheater when it came out with my
dad, because my mom hateshorror.
So it was a thing me and my daddid is we went and watched not
that it was very hard, it waslike campy horror but we went
and watched it.
I'd be down to watch thatsometime, yeah I have never
watched it I don't know it's.
It came out way before the tvshow did, so.
(17:27):
It doesn't have, like, the sameactors or anything in it.
Um right, but it was theinception for the tv show is it
streaming?
Jonathan (17:36):
we'll find it somewhere you make this
suggestion we can.
We can find it somewhere.
I can find a, a DVD of it, I'msure.
Yeah, I mean, I think, maybe ifthere's a list going in I don't
mean to take us off track Ifthere's a list going for it,
maybe that's.
Mari (17:52):
That's a good one to add.
Yeah, yeah.
For sure.
Okay, next bit of news that wehave is Tor Publishing is
re-releasing T Kingfisher's NineGoblins, which is a short
little novella, and shedescribes it as a novella of low
fantasy and high mischief.
I've not read this one, eventhough it's been out.
(18:12):
I think the original came outin 2013.
So it's been out for a while,but it's getting a hardcover
version through Tor.
I've not read it yet, but it'son my list, my very much
shortening list of TK pictures Ihave left to read because I've
read almost all their stuff, butit looks really cute.
It's like nine goblins have togo in and, you know, have a
(18:36):
little mission.
But of course, nothing issimple because TK picture
doesn't write straightforward,boring stories.
So basically, the littlesynopsopsis says no one knows
exactly how the goblin war began, but folks will tell you that
goblins are stinking, slinking,filthy sheep, stealing hen,
house raiding, obnoxious, rudeand violent goblins would
(18:57):
actually agree with all this andmight throw in cowardly and
lazy two for good measuremeasure.
But goblins don't go aroundkilling people for fun, no
matter what the propagandaposters say.
And when a confrontation withan evil wizard lands a troop of
nine goblins deep behind enemylines, goblin sergeant neselka
must figure out how to keep herhapless band together and get
them home in one piece, despitea path filled with elves, trolls
(19:20):
, monsters and that mostterrifying of creatures a human
being.
That sounds so good.
Jonathan (19:27):
It sounds very jim henson-y yes, yes, very much so.
Mari (19:32):
So I'm excited about that.
I know New T Kingfisher I'msurprised is getting the graphic
(19:58):
audio treatment.
So not just an audiobook, butgraphic audio, like
dramatization with sound effectsand multiple actors and
multiple narrators and all thatgood stuff.
It's out now pretty excitedabout it.
Ashley (20:05):
I may end up rereading it I was gonna say you've read
these before, right I have.
Mari (20:09):
I read the whole series.
So I saw at the bookstore thefourth one, which of course is
death, and I'm like, oh, I wantto read a story about death,
because I do, because, duh, it'sme.
But of course I had to read thefirst three to get to death.
So that's how I ended upreading the whole little series
(20:30):
of the Four Horsemen, and it islike the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse as personified bythese not quite human creatures.
It's all the Laura ThalassaI've read so far, even though I
know she's got several otherseries that are very popular.
I haven't read them yet, but Ireally enjoyed that series and I
plan to read more of her works.
(20:50):
All right, next little bit ofnews.
Jonathan (20:54):
All right, next little bit of news Ash found that
Marissa Meyer's the LunarChronicles is getting an
animated film through WarnerBrothers, which is set to be out
November 3rd of 2028.
Mari (21:12):
Is that like?
Do we know what level ofanimation that's going to be?
Like standard old-fashionedBugs Bunny stuff?
I'm not sure.
If I had to guess, I wouldassume it's going to be like
arcana or like castlevania.
Have you seen either of thoseanimated stories?
I think it's going to be thatthat style.
Um, there's not any picturesyet, though, but uh, what they
have released is that noelrafael is the director, warner
brothers pictures animation.
(21:33):
So whatever warner's picturesanimation style normally is says
, warner brothers picturesationsand Locksmith Animation are
behind the project.
That has a script credited toLindsay Farentino and writing
partners Kaylin Egan and TravisSintel, and Christina Steinberg
serves as the producer.
I haven't read these, but Iknow you have right, ash, I have
(21:54):
.
Ashley (21:54):
It's like fairytale retellings in space right yeah,
it's futuristic, maybe, uh, Iwant to say well, and so it.
The series continues beyond,just, you know the, the first
book, obviously, but the firstbook is like a cinderella
retelling, and so it'sfuturistic, uh, you know, very
(22:15):
mechanic, mechanic, robots, butalso, I think, like Asian or
Chinese, and I might begaslighting that, please forgive
me, but I do vaguely rememberthat kind of you know, vibe,
situation happening or setting,scenario happening, and then the
story you know the, theadditional books introduces a
(22:37):
new character, um, and so Ithink one of them is like
Rapunzel, like a Rapunzelretelling, but it's all like,
very interconnected.
If I remember correctly, it'sbeen many, many years since I've
read it, but I do recall itbeing a very good story.
It is YA, um, so I don't thinkyou know the, the romance gets,
(22:57):
gets too crazy, but it's areally good book and I think you
get a little bit of a plottwist at the end of it, um,
which was nice when, if, if I'mremembering correctly.
But I am a fan of the seriesand so I'm excited to see, um,
you know, a version of it comeout on the screen so that more
people can get into the book.
I think Marissa Meyer is apretty big name as well.
Mari (23:20):
Yeah, I've heard really good things about this series,
like it's it was on my list toread because I've heard several
people talk about how good it is.
It's just, you know, theginormous TBR.
Ashley (23:32):
Yeah.
Jonathan (23:33):
Sorry.
Ashley (23:34):
I was going to say it's sorry.
Jonathan (23:38):
I was gonna say it's a big series too, it's like five
or six books, I think.
Ashley (23:40):
Is this gonna be an animation?
Jonathan (23:41):
yeah, it's animated, you said.
Well, the only reason I saythat is because um ilm is
involved in this and it lookslike the article reads that
there's um costume designersinteresting I assume, you know,
I, you know, I don't know, Idon't know how animation works,
but I assume they have to designcostumes too.
Mari (24:03):
You know, they have to bring a look to it.
Jonathan (24:05):
Design the look.
Ashley (24:06):
Yeah, if you look up the series on Amazon or whatever, I
do believe that they did areprint recently with new covers
and stuff, and so when I readthe article and it said it was
going to be animation, Iimmediately, you know, my brain
defaulted to the more recentbook covers and so like, that's
(24:30):
where my head went.
But yeah, I mean, I think, youknow, to an extent, there has to
be a certain like they'rebuilding this from the ground up
.
There's no you know, existingprecedents that I'm aware of.
I think this, you know, sherebuilt this world.
That is a true retelling in adifferent, you know location, in
a different time, in adifferent setting, completely.
Mari (24:55):
I hope they do some really good stuff with animation just
because, animation done well isfor all ages and it really
allows a lot of creative freedomthat you don't have to deal
with.
You know actors having to beput through dangerous situations
or you know tons of specialeffects or having to come up
with lots of extras and you knowclothing, all these people and
(25:16):
scenery and locations and Ithink it allows the effort to go
into the imagination of it.
I know that there's been athing going around for a while
now that they don't need to dolike an akatar as a live action.
Ashley (25:32):
But if ever akatar ever does get produced, it needs to
be animation I thought that wasan interesting shift to, you
know, for rebecca yaros, whenthey, you know, announced this
year that they're doing thegraphic novels for the fourth
wing series.
And so I wonder, if you know,should the amazon prime series
(25:53):
not work out?
You know, maybe that's thefuture for some of these, these
fantasy you know bringing to thescreen, you know, that that
graphic novel kind of portrayalin a series or on in the movies,
I think would be reallyinteresting as well.
Mari (26:09):
Yeah.
And then there's the idea oflike maybe if the animation does
well, they'll make a liveaction movie on down the road
like how to Train your Dragon.
Jonathan (26:17):
Yeah, good flex, oh, interesting.
So I'm sorry, I just kind ofwent down a rabbit hole the
animation companies because myfirst thought was there are
other, some of the otheranimation, some of the other
elements here that this couldfall into.
Would be like the dr seussstuff, because it looks like
(26:40):
warner brothers is set torelease, um, some new can, a new
animated cat in the hat.
And then I went down the rabbithole of who was involved in cat
in the hat.
It was illumination.
So then I was like you knowwhat?
That doesn't make sense becausethey're disconnected from it's.
Illumination is clearly notlocksmith, right, but it looks
like when you google or bingsorry, when you bing locksmith
(27:05):
it immediately pops up with, uh,some illumination credits.
So maybe the style of animationwill be similar to how the
Grinch stole Christmas with,yeah, that one could be
interesting.
Mari (27:25):
So we'll see.
We'll see, we'll find out in2028 so much time to wait yeah,
the last little bit of news Ihad is that we are in June.
June is Pride Month, lgbtq+ andwe encourage diversity and
stepping outside of your triedand true reads year round.
Maybe give a queer author a trythis month, regardless of your
(27:49):
genre of choice, and that is whywe chose the book we did
Brighter Than Scale, swifterThan Flame, by Neon Yang.
Neon Yang is a queer author andthe story is a queer story.
The love story aspect of it,anyways, is a queer story.
(28:11):
So we picked this book becauseit kept coming up on lists in a
bunch of places.
Um, it's it was just published,may 26th of 2025, so it's very
new.
Uh, it's a short novella.
It's got dragons and it keptbeing described everywhere that
I saw it as mandalorian withdragons.
I'm like, yes, I will take someof that.
(28:32):
Thank you very much.
Um, let me read the synopsisand we'll go from there.
Do you know the true identity ofthe masked guild knight of
Mithrandon?
She barely remembers herself.
The masked guild knight, eva,was 13 when she killed her first
dragon.
With her gift revealed, she wasshipped away to the Imperial
Capital to train in the rare artof dragon slaying Now a
(28:55):
legendary dragon hunter.
She has never felt truly athome, nor removed her armor in
public since that fateful dayall those years ago.
Yeva must now go to Quembao, afiercely independent and
reclusive kingdom.
It is rumored that theredragons are not feared, as is
right and proper, but insteadloved and worshipped.
It is rumored that there theyharbor a dragon behind their
(29:16):
borders.
While Yeva searches for thedreaded beast, she is welcomed
into the palace by Quenval'smonarch, lady Suki.
Though wary of each other, yevais shocked to find herself
slowly opening up to thebeautiful, mysterious queen.
As they grow closer, yeva longsto let Lady Suki see the person
behind the armor, but she knowsshe must fulfill her purpose
and slay the dragon.
Ultimately, she must decide whoor what she's willing to betray
(29:40):
her own heart or the sacredduty that she has called home
for so long.
Spoiler warning.
So if you haven't read the book, read it.
It's short and come back to us,unless you don't care about
spoilers.
Ashley (29:53):
So what do we think?
I like this book.
I thought you know they packedin so much.
I think what's the page count?
It's like 176 pages.
It's super short.
Yeah, yeah, but really, youknow, she flew through an absurd
amount of information in a verysmall A chapter.
(30:21):
Yeah, like her whole childhoodwas chapter one.
Is that what?
I'm like?
Turning to look at him, hecan't, I can't see him.
Yeah, it was.
It was why and I don't feellike I missed anything was the
other part of it.
So it was short, it was sweetand it was very sweet.
It was, you know, not a very,you know, intricate story, but I
I did think that it wasimpactful in what and and how
(30:45):
much it covered in such a shortamount of time kelly, what did
you think it was short?
Mari (30:49):
oh wait, I'm sorry ash how many stars did you give overall
?
I'm sorry, ash, you there, I'mhere.
Sorry, what was Ash?
How many stars did you giveoverall?
Ashley (30:55):
I'm sorry, ash you there , I'm here.
Sorry, what was the?
Mari (30:57):
question how many stars did you give overall?
Ashley (30:59):
Sorry, oh, I thought it was a four For 176 pages.
I was delighted.
It was a four, Kelly, how aboutyou?
Mari (31:07):
It wasn't a terrible book but definitely had a lot of plot
holes and inconsistencies.
The good part about it was atleast it was short.
I would say a two and a halfJonathan.
What'd you think?
Jonathan (31:20):
I agree with Kelly.
It was like um, it was.
Uh.
I'm sorry, kelly, how manystars did you end up giving it?
Two and a half?
Yeah, I mean, I agree withKelly.
I think it's a um it was.
It was just, it was a shortbook and it it just didn't.
It just didn't vibe with me.
I thought it could have been somuch cooler had she given it
(31:42):
enough time to kind of shake outthe details, but it just didn't
land because there just wasn'tenough to hook me.
It almost felt like I was goingto get hooked and then things
would just escalate in adifferent or in a direction and
they would just take a chapterand just really finish.
(32:04):
The end of the book was amazingin terms of how much they they
packed into one.
One thing, I think.
Where it really fell apart forme, though, was when, like when,
I put two and two together, uh,over the parallel between the
periodic blood illness uh, whatwas it what?
(32:25):
how did she say blood?
Mari (32:26):
illness or blood.
Jonathan (32:27):
Yeah, yeah, it was just like.
Mari (32:29):
Oh, so once a month you have a different personality I
think kelly turned to me at thatpart and we were like, oh where
dragon yes, I love that.
Jonathan (32:46):
Um, this isn't our first where dragon store or
story, though yours no, no, no,that we had.
Uh, was that one we read.
That time I got drunk and savedthe demon.
Mari (32:56):
Yeah that's a podcast, I think I do like that term,
though.
Jonathan (33:00):
Good, good, good call on that.
Mari (33:02):
I've never seen one come about on a monthly cycle, though
yeah, there's a lot ofdifferent lores for like dragon
shifters um, depending on theworld or the stories you read.
The newest juliet side note hasdragon shifters in it.
Jonathan (33:17):
Is that Firebird?
Yeah, somebody said that,ashley, did you say I'm not
going to like that one?
Possibly I have it on my TBR.
I'm scared to read it now.
Ashley (33:29):
There were concerns about the representation of the
actual triggers.
Mari (33:35):
Yeah, I read about that.
I finished the book, I read it.
I finished it, I don't know,maybe last week, last weekend,
maybe I thought it was fine forwhat it was.
As far as the triggers, like, Ithink that if you are reading a
even a fantasy world set inancient rome, rome is known for
its slave trade and its greatinfrastructure, so we're not
(34:00):
talking about the ducks in thisbook.
Ashley (34:01):
You know I wasn't surprised, but I think a lot of
people felt blindsided by thatnot being listed in the triggers
or like the warnings.
Like people had big, bigfeelings about that.
Yeah, I heard a lot of talkabout it, and so I warned
Jonathan like, like, hey, thismight not be your jam, but we
love juliet cross.
Yeah, I love juliet cross.
Mari (34:21):
I would say her fantasy, her like romanicy tech stuff as
opposed to more of the um cutesymodern stuff.
But like the say spell is likemore cutesy modern um fantasy
like her, her like more fantasyromancy stuff tends to all the
stuff I've read, all tendstowards dark romancy.
I would say in general, if Ihad to label it um, so like if
(34:45):
you have triggers, like read itbefore you get into it to know
if it's something that you'regonna enjoy or not, you know
right trigger bonus my my ratingfor this book.
I gave it a three.
I thought that it was.
It was fine.
I thought it was kind of flat.
I thought things we were toldabout, a lot of things about
(35:07):
being shown.
It almost felt like this wasthe Cliff Notes version of a
greater book.
Yeah, it felt like this is the,this is the pitch, and then we
didn't get the actual story,cause I feel like the story was
there, it just wasn't expandedupon Like it would have been
amazing to like see firsthand.
(35:27):
You know, how great of afighter and a badass person Yiva
was.
Well, we never saw her you know,we just we just told she was
real badass, you know, and itwould have been great to have a
better feel for how important itwas to her to have that armor
and that mask and that likealmost superhero alter ego
(35:50):
rather than what.
Almost very early on she goesto visit the queen or the, the
girl king, and like I felt likeshe took her mask off right away
for the girl king.
I'm like, oh okay, that would.
That happened really early.
So I enjoyed the concept of thebook and I wanted more out of
(36:12):
it.
I guess ultimately which Idon't know that it was the right
story for the novella, likelike I think it needed multiple
books or a longer book.
It needed more detail, becauseI felt that the characters were
flat, because I didn't see themdo enough.
I just kind of it felt like Iwas being told a story around
like the fire you know like acampfire story, as opposed to
(36:32):
something with some depth andhaving been put together ahead
of time I don't think we hadtime for depths than 176 pages
it didn't have to be.
Jonathan (36:43):
I mean, I'm not an author, right, but I agree with
mari it it felt, it felt almostincomplete interesting which I
mean it's not a necessarily badthing.
Mari (36:55):
Like if you want more, the author leaves you wanting more,
like I would want the author towrite like a full-length book
like this.
I'm the the author.
They have other books that arelonger length.
Not not all their works arenovellas.
I'm I'm really interested inreading some of their longer
length stuff because I think,given more real estate to put
(37:16):
stuff in, I think they couldcreate some real interesting
worlds.
You know, yeah, this, thisformat for this story didn't do
it for me, so I gave it a threeI agree the cover was amazing,
though, like that cover alonemade me want to read it.
It was very beautifully done.
What did we think of fantasyworld building aspects?
Ashley (37:37):
I thought it was fair Again, when you're trying to
pack so much in with not a lotof time, right?
I mean, I definitely felt thatthe writer, the author, was very
like, very I want to say script, that's not the right word.
It was almost poetic, like itall flowed very nicely.
(38:00):
It was all very mellow.
Nothing was ever really urgentor crazy or chaotic.
It was a very peaceful book forme.
I didn't mind the worldbuilding.
I don't think it wasextravagant.
I think they did what theycould in a very, in a very short
book and, uh, I thought it wasokay.
(38:20):
I thought it was a three, Idon't.
I didn't feel anything waslacking enormously, except more
detail yeah, I'm on that samepage.
Jonathan (38:27):
Um, I didn't think it was, I didn't think the world
was was built very.
It was like a house of cards,like it was.
You could see a facade, butthere was no depth to it, no
real uh, sustenance or substancefor me.
And, like I, I struggle becausethe television shows do it in
(38:48):
like 30 minutes, right, whetherit's a, um, a cartoon plot,
everything kind of getsdeveloped.
We're here, this happened, andbecause this happened, we're now
doing this.
And I didn't get that vibealthough I did get very kind of
frozen vibes out of this story,like uh, I'm not, I'm not, I
(39:09):
can't like articulate why was itthe girl king, you think?
um, like the you know I'm not.
It might have been like thecavern, the idea that we're
hiding something, uh, this,we're hiding our, our magical
prowess from, from outsiders,kind of thing.
Yeah, and it's.
(39:29):
I think I almost would haveliked to have a better, a
stronger understanding of whatwas actually being risked.
I don't think I I captured that.
Ashley (39:44):
I think it was just orders what do you mean?
say more like her orders were togo and kill the suspected
dragon that was being harboredin that, in that land.
Okay, so the the risk wascompleting the order and being
the soldier that she's become,or opening herself to this new
(40:08):
world of thoughts and feelingsand emotions, and not complying
with what she's just being toldto do and instead following her
heart, knowing that there wasmore to the story yeah, I think
also like the like, the stakeswas that if she didn't do that,
the idea was that the emperorwas then going to like send in
(40:30):
troops and take over what theguild knights did was going to
kind of infringe on their way ofdoing things right.
Mari (40:38):
I thought that was the vibe I got and she had to
succeed right because of that Ithink it.
Ashley (40:43):
You know it comes to that too, right?
So, like, not only is her own,you know sense of being and
potential shame and notcompleting this task right,
because this is all she knowsnow is, you know, being this,
this soldier, this warrior, youknow this badass that gets the
job done.
So if she's not that person,then who is she?
But then you know the thesnowball effect of if she
(41:06):
doesn't do it, then who's goingto come in and try to do it for
her Right and and shit goes, youknow, sideways faster.
Mari (41:14):
You didn't get that, no, no, as far as the fantasy world
building, I actually thought wasthat the general aspect of it
was pretty well done for a shortof a book as it was, so I gave
it a four.
I thought that the kind ofasian culture references the
political structure, some of themachinations and magic and lore
(41:35):
laid down, some some goodfoundation.
Like I said, it feels like ateaser or like a trailer for
another book that's coming orseries of books that are coming.
You know what I mean.
So, I feel like we got a peekinto a world that could be
really interesting, so for methat aspect of it was a four.
(41:55):
What did we think about theromance?
Ashley (41:58):
I thought it was very slow burn.
I think it's interesting tokind of see, you know, the
strong, silent type in a woman.
It again, it wasn't anythinglife changing for me again, but
I did feel, you know again, thatthe author was very poetic
almost in her writing and I didenjoy that part of.
(42:21):
You know they didn't reallyflesh it out but it did feel
very slow and natural feelingfor them to have bonded the way
that they did.
I thought, you know, addressingthe queer part of this story
was very tasteful and tactful.
It wasn't in your face, itwasn't, you know, overwhelming.
(42:44):
If that's not somebody's cup oftea they're not going to.
You know, feel negatively aboutwhat they've read.
I thought it was just a reallypretty love story that was
actually fairly integral to theplot of the story.
For a change, I don't thinkwe've read one like that in a
while.
So I thought it was a three anda half.
(43:05):
It was polite, it was tasteful,it wasn't, you know, wild.
Jonathan (43:12):
So I'm going to disagree here on this one.
I was like I didn't see a slow,slow burn.
There wasn't enough book for aslow burn.
This book was a match.
It just kind of like it was.
It was on me before I knew whatwas happening and then by the
time I was like, oh yeah, we'regetting, we're doing this now.
(43:34):
Okay, cool, um, it was gone.
So it was, we had a birthdayparty for a cousin one year and,
uh, they forgot to get thecandles and uh, so they were
like you know what?
We have matches and you can seewhere this is going.
We sang happy birthday realquick.
I don't even think we made itthrough the song.
(43:55):
That's kind of where I was atwith this.
With this one, uh, in terms of,in terms of romance, it was like
, oh, here it is.
Oh crap, it's gone.
Okay, cool, there was.
There was more, I guess andmaybe I'm conflating romance and
spice here Um, because I feellike we.
I feel like we, I feel like Igot there and then all of a
(44:16):
sudden it was in the rear viewmirror and we were back on to
like a quest for the truth, andthere I didn't really dig the
romance again until until theend, when she was like, yeah, uh
, just take my dad's bones.
And I was like, oh, how, howlovely of you.
Um, romance, if I was going togive it a rating, I'll probably
(44:39):
give it the same rating, but mypoint of disagreement is that it
was a slow burn.
What about you, mari?
Mari (44:47):
For me it was probably a two, and it's the same reason I
had issues with the book.
I feel like we were told therewas a romance and it could have
been a real interesting romance,like it would have been really
interesting to see more dialogueand flirting between them when
they were each like, starting tolike each other but also had
(45:08):
these huge secrets that theywere each hiding.
That would have been reallyinteresting dialogue.
But we're not.
We're not shown any of that.
We're just told that, oh okay,well, yiva likes the, the girl
king, and so like I don't know,it felt like second meeting or
something.
She's this whole big deal abouther not showing her face.
(45:31):
She's all of a sudden, you know, changing and changing out of
part of her armor and then youknow that felt like it went away
really fast and I feel likewe're told that they were in
love.
But I didn't feel like it wasvery it was shown to me in any
sort of dialogue.
So once again, it feels like ithad this potential.
(45:51):
It was a really interestingsetup, but the book didn't quite
make me feel the romance vibes.
So that would be a two for me.
Jonathan (46:01):
Would you say it's maybe missing.
The book is missing the abilityto present imagery in words.
Mari (46:09):
I don't know that it's imagery so much as it is details
.
You know so much of books andstories that I like anyways end
up being like snippets ofconversations or particular
scenes and things that happened.
Like everyone who's seen andloves the Pride and Prejudice
(46:30):
movie which I love, just like Ilove the miniseries, just like I
love the book but the Pride andPrejud prejudice movie uh, the
new one there's the scene wheredarcy flexes his hand and all I
have to do is say that, andanyone who knows that movie
instantly that that the wholescene, the whole imagery, the
vibe, the feeling, the emotionsbehind that, you know exactly
(46:53):
what it is like.
It conjures so much and Ididn't feel like there were
snippets like that in this bookinteresting, very, very, and
that just may be how I like toconsume romance.
You know.
I mean like, romance is verypersonal and different people
like different aspects of it.
I I like snapshots and momentsthat that convey either
(47:16):
snapshots and moments orsnippets of conversation and
flirting.
That convey a lot.
You know about the charactersand how they feel for each other
and I don't feel like I gotthat out of this book for me
yeah, does it feel almost uh,and I don't want to come out the
wrong way but does it feelalmost juvenile?
yeah, I mean, it feels like,yeah, like a story you tell
(47:39):
around a campfire, feels like,um, like a fairy tale, like oh
and then, uh, you know,cinderella and the prince fell
in love yeah, that's the romanceokay, I guess they did, you
know.
So it feels like a fairyytale,folktale kind of thing, which
(48:00):
doesn't make it bad.
It's just not what I waslooking for out of the book
based off of the description.
Jonathan (48:05):
I agree.
I think there's something to besaid for us to be sitting here
wanting or hoping that therecould have been more.
I think it's there's.
There's's something here, but Idon't think we got enough to.
We got a little, a little, alittle taste, but we didn't
really get the I want, I want, Iwant a fucking bite we got the
(48:28):
amuse bouche, now we need, like,the multi-course meal, like.
Mari (48:32):
I definitely want to read more by this author.
I think that they have aninteresting way of building
worlds and an interesting way oftelling stories that I think
could benefit from longer books,so I plan on reading some of
their novellas or novels notnovellas, novels like
full-length novels.
I would like to read afull-length novel by them.
What do we think about thespice, speaking of food?
Ashley (48:55):
oh, there was no spice no, you didn't get any there was
, there was, no, there was zerospice hint nope I mean yeah, a
hint is still zero are you?
Jonathan (49:04):
you're talking about boiled chicken.
Ashley (49:05):
That's what you got nope , boiled chicken is still
sustenance there was not spice.
No, there was romance.
I'm not mad at it, okay, I'mjust.
I'm quantitatively answeringthe question.
There was no spice.
Mari (49:24):
You walked by the kitchen and you got a whiff of the smell
of a spice.
Jonathan (49:28):
Yeah, it kept going.
I thought it was kissing.
Mari (49:29):
Was there kissing?
I don't think kissing was everdetailed Like there was sexy
times.
That happened in theory, thatwe're told.
Ashley (49:39):
But there were touches and caresses.
Okay, there's, I'll give it aone.
It was.
Mari (49:43):
There was a one of space one of space that sounds like a
star trek character, give itsalt, didn't even give it the
pepper I gave it the salt Idon't disagree.
Jonathan (49:55):
um, like I said, I feel like everything kind of
just happened in like, likebankers hours, like hey, we're
open, we're closed, um, but Iunderstood what was like I was
at first.
So I'm going to be like.
I came into this book and likeI was like, oh, we're, we chose
(50:15):
this book.
And like I was like, oh, we're,we chose this book.
Uh, pride month, uh, uh, we'vegot a queer story.
And I was thinking about, likeyou know, last year I think was
it last or two years ago orsomething like that we read um
Sebastian's book.
And so I was like, oh, okay,then we just come and like hang
out here for for this story andsee how it compares.
(50:37):
Like that was going to be mybenchmark.
But then I was like, oh, no, no, no, this is a, this is a are
are the characters we're lookingfor here aren't are definitely
different than what, um, whatSebastian uh had plotted out.
So I was like, all right, well,I got to refocus and pay
attention um, a little bit more.
(50:58):
So I was like it was on, it wason me, and I thought like, oh,
okay, this happened faster thanI, than I, than I anticipated.
Um, and now it's gone, but Ithought for what had happened.
It was very, it was.
It was okay.
Um, I won't give it a wholebunch of stars, but I'll give it
at least one more than thany'all did.
Mari (51:20):
I'll give it to two.
I give it a one.
I feel that we were told thatthere was spice and that's where
it was left.
So, once again, that doesn'tmake it a bad book.
You don't have to have spicefor it to be a good book, but
this is definitely a low spicetype of story.
My last question about thisbook, but this is definitely a
low spice type of story.
Last question about this bookIs it a kissing book?
Jonathan (51:42):
Yes, I'm going to say yes, but only because if they
didn't develop that spice, ifthey didn't have that connection
, the emperor would just came inand murked some folks.
They would have found out whatwas going on.
And if that connection wasn'tthere to rescue the situation at
the end, then it would end verydifferently.
(52:03):
So I'm going to say yes.
Mari (52:06):
Yeah, I kind of think so as well.
I would say yes to CitizenRogue.
I think that the story wouldnot have happened the way it
happened if it hadn't been fortheir romance with each other.
Anything else you want to sayabout the book?
Ashley (52:19):
I thought it was a delightful little book.
Yeah, it's just a little babybook.
Jonathan (52:25):
It's a period piece, pun intended.
I didn't get that at first, andthen it was like getting
slapped in the face with it allat once and I think like I was
in the car driving and I waslike, oh okay, I get it now.
Cool, and I kind of liked that,like I thought it was like I, I
(52:46):
I feel like there was so muchthat could be that I wish I had
more knowledge of.
So that's my, that's mytakeaway.
The book wasn't terrible, itjust wasn't.
Mari (52:59):
There wasn't enough meat on the bone for me yeah, it
definitely gave me, got meinterested in reading more of
what the author could do in alonger format.
I don't know that I would rightnow, I don't know that I would
say that I would read another ofthe author's novellas, but I'm
interested in reading one oftheir full-length novels for
sure.
Anything else before we move on?
(53:19):
No, I think we covered it Allright.
So before we move on to ourlittle outro, I will say it's
halfway through the year.
We're not doing a full mid-yearreview kind of thing, but just
in general, what that you'veread has been outstanding for
you in the first half of theyear, um, and or what are you
looking forward to reading inthe second half of?
Ashley (53:41):
the year, bro.
My pre-order pile is scary.
Why is my amazon cart so scary?
Jonathan (53:46):
hold on, sorry because I put a basketball hoop in
there.
Ashley (53:51):
Oh, geez, sorry guys, I I feel like we read a couple of
really good books.
You guys didn't care for the myCoraline books this year, but I
really love them.
So I'm excited for book three.
Of course, we got Onyx Storm inJanuary and that was a whole
event in itself.
After what?
(54:12):
Two years of waiting, god.
I feel like we've had somereally, really good books in the
first half of the year, but Iam stoked for the second half of
the year.
We have I don't where do weeven start.
So we have the, the, thegermani fanfic retelling that's
coming out, or like the, therevision right in july.
(54:35):
We get accomplice to theVillain.
In August.
We have Callie Hart coming outin the fall.
Jonathan (54:42):
I haven't read Callie Hart's, already been out.
Ashley (54:45):
Abigail Owen in September.
Alchemized in September.
September's going to be a busybook month for us.
Jonathan (54:53):
This month's going to be busy.
I'm going to get cracking.
There's so many is right Likeaudible how to sail audible how
to sail.
Ashley (55:01):
I made them buy all of the Jennifer Armentrout stuff
for the blood and ash series.
So there's like five bookswaiting for me there.
Jonathan (55:09):
Yeah, the pen coal stuff I have.
I just got there.
I got her limited edition stuffthe special edition.
Yeah, with the painted edgesthose came.
So now I feel like I'm ready toread her stuff.
But I have to put it on theback burner, because during that
sale was some other stuff byCarissa Broadbent Mother of
(55:30):
Death and Dawn, children of theFallen Gods, daughter of no
Worlds.
Mari (55:34):
Those are all things that are'm really curious about what
you guys are high on that listtoo, july 1st is included until
then.
Jonathan (55:40):
So there's all that stuff going on.
Plus I wanted to see if I couldknock out light Lark and then,
and then I added in the balanceof sort of glass.
So I want to get through thattoo.
Yeah, so there's all that, andthen I still have some some
stuff from juliet cross that Ihave to get through.
Mari (56:01):
So it's gonna be a busy, busy second half and um, well, I
have read a lot so far thisyear, but I'd say the one
standout for me the beginninghalf of the year um, it's a
little bit of an older book.
It was published in 2020, 2020.
It's not new, but it's new tome.
It's His Secret Illuminations,written by Scarlett Gale, and
(56:23):
it's a romancy story, but it's adifferent take on a romancy
story.
So the female main character isVi or Pan and she is this kind
of physically imposing, likelarge, badass warrior, like
she's a fighter-type person.
She's also bubbly and likesflowers.
(56:44):
And the male main character ofthe story is this magical, very,
very sheltered, magical monkthat she rescues and they have
to go on like a mission to tofind these secret books and his
(57:05):
whole world is just blown by herand by seeing everything
outside of the little cloisterof life that he's had.
It's a.
It's a little bit of a of a ofa longer read.
It's like 400 and somethingpages, but I very much enjoyed
it.
I still haven't read the sequel.
It's like 400 and somethingpages, but I very much enjoyed
it.
I still haven't read the sequel.
It's a duology.
I'm waiting on Libby for thesequel, but I very much enjoyed
that in the first half of theyear.
(57:26):
That was a surprising five starread for me, and I found that
through a Reddit post wherepeople were asking for like
unconventional romantic storiesbecause they were tired of like
kind of the same.
You know, 18 year old badassfemale main character who's good
at everything and 500 year oldshadow daddy who all of a sudden
(57:47):
loves her more than anything inthe world.
Alright, so thanks for listeningto of sorts and soulmates.
Before we go, make sure tocheck show notes, rate, review
and subscribe to us on yourpodcast app of choice.
It helps others to find us.
Follow us on Instagram at ofswords and soulmates, or join
our Facebook page of swords andsoulmates.
Check us out on our website ofswords and soulmatescom or on
YouTube, tiktok, pinterest, thesame username.
(58:08):
If you'd like to offer asuggestion for a future episode,
reach out to us.
Or if you would like to tell uswhat you've enjoyed in the
first half of the year or whatyou're looking forward to, reach
out to us and interact.
If you want to read along withus as we prepare for a new
episode, follow us on Goodreadsat Episodes and Soulmates for
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(58:30):
club.
We also have a Tome account.
You can follow us on there fortidbits.
And, last but not least, wehope you'll join us in two weeks
for our next episode when wewill be discussing captured by
the fey beast by mallory dunlan.
Thank you for watching.
Views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the
participants.
The hosts make no claim to beliterary experts and their
opinions are exactly thatopinions.
All creative works discussed orreviewed are the intellectual
property of the creators of saidstories and is being used under
the fair use doctrine.
Mari (00:29):
Welcome to Of Swords and Soulmates, a podcast where we
read, watch and discussromanticist stories.
I'm one of your hosts, mari,and with me I have Kelly.
Jonathan (00:34):
Hey everyone, it's Kelly.
We also have Ashley.
Ashley (00:37):
Hey guys, it's Ashley.
We also have Jonathan.
Jonathan (00:39):
What's good everybody, it's JP.
How are we doing today?
Mari (00:43):
Good, good, good.
We have a whole lot of news.
So, uh, today we're going to bediscussing brighter than scale,
swifter than flame by neon yang, but first all the news we
don't have.
I mean, we don't have a ton,it's like the most we've done,
but we've got a good bit.
I didn't think we had a lot ofnews and I started putting it
together and, yeah, there's alot of news.
(01:06):
First thing is the the enchantedgreenhouse by sarah beth durst,
which is the kind of sequel tospell shop that we read.
It's not really a sequelbecause she's she says it's set
in the same world but it can beread as a standalone, so she's
not calling it a sequel, butanyways it's getting the owl
crate special edition treatment.
So they're doing like a fancycover with fancy edges and
(01:28):
designed you know end pages andall that mess.
It's 34.99, it ships inmid-august and it will be
available to the general publicon june 26th at 11 am pacific
time to buy if you areinterested it looks beautiful it
does a different, different artlike yeah, definitely the
(01:49):
painted edges with the flowersand the yeah, and I like this.
Jonathan (01:53):
This is it.
You know what it reminds me of?
It reminds me of what are thoselike pennsylvania dutch hexes.
Is that what it is?
Ashley (02:00):
how would I know the answer to that?
Jonathan (02:03):
People in Pennsylvania Eagles fans?
I think it might be, maybe it'snot, it might not be limited to
Pennsylvania Dutch, it could beMennonite, I don't know.
Let me just see what.
Let me bring it.
Ashley (02:17):
Yeah, you're doing the thing.
Where you're talking, the wordsare words.
Jonathan (02:20):
And we know, what the words mean.
Yeah, but we don't.
We don't.
We don't know where to try andget at pennsylvania.
Dutch hex signs are colorfulfolk art symbols traditionally
painted on barns and homes andbelieved to bring good luck and
protection oh yeah, that lookslike very folk style.
Mari (02:38):
Okay, yeah, I like it, I.
I I've already pre-ordered theregular version, so I think I'm
going to stick with that,because it matches the you know
spell shop that I have so bigmatchy, matchy, matchy fan.
But it's pretty, it's verypretty.
Oh, yeah, definitely fantasyevents, which is doing the
(03:01):
Romanacy Con that we went tolast year and that is happening
this year in Orlando in Octoberthat Rebecca Yaros and a bunch
of other people are going to.
They have started doingRomanacy retreats, yeah, so the
first one is in Savannah,georgia, at the Gastonian.
The authors for this one aregoing to be Adeline Grace and
Kaylee Smith and they'vedescribed it as there's going to
(03:22):
be book discussions, arts andcrafts games, tarot cards
readings, a private ghost tourand more.
Ashley (03:28):
You basically have to sign A ghost tour.
Mari (03:30):
Yeah, because it's Savannah.
It's a very Savannah thingthey're going to do.
Basically, you're signing upand it's like the food is
included, all the meals areincluded and the hotel stay.
When I looked today earlier,there was one slot slot, one
type of slot available, and itwas eighteen hundred dollars
what how many days?
You know, I didn't, I didn'tsee how many days I'm gonna be
(03:52):
like a week.
Ashley (03:53):
Yeah, that's a lot of money.
Jonathan (03:55):
I think the gastonians , like I'm callie, you've been
to savannah more than I have inthe gastonian, like downtown
ritzy fancy hotel yeah yeah, Ithink it's like historic in
savannah, so yeah but it's aretreat right, so it's like
everything's accounted for rightthe food is accounted for and
all those events, that yeah,it's all, it's all included.
Mari (04:14):
So it's like a mini intensive con, I guess, with
those people, like if there wasan art, an author that I was
really excited about, you knowthat that would be kind of
interesting, maybe you know nowthat I have anything against
these authors, I just don't knowtheir works there's.
Jonathan (04:29):
It includes a book with custom sprayed edges.
Uh, book, themed, themed craftslike there's a lot going on
yeah for, for those, for thethose, uh, for that money yeah
you know it's, and I think if Ialmost not so not like the live
action role play stuff, but likethose, almost like a cruise,
(04:50):
then right, that's what I wasthinking.
Mari (04:52):
It feels like a like a cruise type setup as far as how
they're doing it minus the boatright yeah, instead of being
stuck in a boat, you're stuck in, I guess, a historic hotel in
savannah, you know.
I mean like it's a.
It it's a destination thing,because a lot of people go to
Savannah for vacation stuff LikeOld Savannah is like a big
tourist destination for people.
Jonathan (05:13):
So you have what are the dates?
Mari (05:15):
Let's see.
Yeah, I think I haven't seenanything about it.
Payments are going to be.
Is this the payments, or youcan split it up into three
payments June 15th, july 15thand August 15th.
Okay, but when is the actualevent?
Jonathan (05:28):
It looks like they start at 1500.
Mari (05:30):
Those are all sold out.
Jonathan (05:32):
Those are all sold out .
Yeah Dang.
Mari (05:33):
Yeah, you know, it doesn't have a date on their website.
Jonathan (05:36):
But it doesn't say like the yeah what happens when
you go to to book what's open Isee a sign up option it doesn't
let me click anything is thehoneymoon suite available?
Mari (05:49):
august the 21st 2025.
Thursday, august 21st 2025 Iguess that's the first day I
think this would be a.
Jonathan (05:57):
This would be a cool event to do in the fall in salem
oh, it would be ridiculous todo in salem like salem is
gorgeous.
Mari (06:08):
I don't know that I would want to go to salem in the fall.
Jonathan (06:10):
It is so jam-packed yeah, I mean, I agree, I just
like, if we talk, like thinkingalong thematic lines, oh yeah,
it would be interesting to do it, if you know, if there was a
theme to the author.
Mari (06:25):
Do you know what I mean?
Like if the author tended towrite things that happen in a
particular area, it would becool to do one of these in that
area.
Jonathan (06:33):
Oh, yeah, good call.
Mari (06:35):
You know, like I'm thinking I know this is not what
they're doing but like, oh myGod, I've completely blanked out
.
The wizard books we weretalking about last time.
Um, those take place in chicago.
So like a thing like that wouldbe cool in chicago yeah, that's
where the, the books are set,that's where the series is set,
like that kind of a thing wouldbe interesting, gotcha or, like
(06:55):
juliet cross does, a series neworleans, new orleans yeah, well,
don't give me an excuse to gonew orleans I.
I am down for New Orleans period, but yeah, that would be a real
interesting thing to do, like aNew Orleans retreat thing with
Juliet Cross.
Yeah.
Jonathan (07:15):
Juliet, if you're listening.
Mari (07:17):
Juliet or Fable Fantasy.
Get on that.
Somebody get on that.
Yes.
Jonathan (07:24):
Send the royalties check over to us for that idea.
Ashley (07:29):
Jk, jk, yeah I think what's really interesting about
this, too, is the size of it.
So I mean, if you look at,there's only it only seems to be
about 15 rooms that areavailable in this whole list,
and so it's like two people perroom kind of thing.
So you're, you're talking aboutless than what a hundred people
probably that are gonna bedoing this thing.
(07:51):
So I mean, the the inflatedcost is is also because of how
small, right, right, they'rekeeping this.
Mari (08:00):
You're getting lots of time with the authors and with
like, really immersed in beingwith them.
You know what I mean.
So if it's somebody that Ireally was one of my favorite
authors, I think that would beinteresting to do.
It might be worth it.
You know what I mean.
So you'd have to be a fan,which I think is the point is,
you know, for those authors toget to interact with fans that
(08:22):
are very into it and be able toreally build on each other's
energy.
You know.
Ashley (08:28):
Yeah, it's a great concept, I just think it's it's
a little too expensive for me.
Jonathan (08:35):
I agree, I agree, but you like to ball on a budget.
Ashley (08:38):
Yeah, I'm very, very cheap.
I mean, you start to thinkabout it depending on how many
days it is.
Mari (08:51):
Savannah is an expensive town.
It's a tourist town, so you'vegot breakfast, lunch, dinner,
you know.
Subtract that out from the costtimes, however many days,
you're already bringing theprice down a little bit.
You know what I mean yeah, so alot of times when things like
that I thought it was expensiveand then I started reading like
everything was kind of includedand I'm like you know it very
much.
Is that cruise model?
You know you, when you payeverything ahead of time and
then once you get there you justenjoy it, you don't have to
(09:12):
then like pay for things afterthe fact yeah, if you're talking
about a three-day kind of event, you know 1800 split up between
that.
Ashley (09:20):
I I see, I see the vision right and and I
appreciate the concept and, likeyou said, maybe depending on
the author, it's probablysomething I might have been more
interested in, and not thatthese authors aren't, you know,
big.
These are some pretty decentsized names.
Mari (09:37):
Yeah, I recognize the names.
I've just never read any oftheir works.
Ashley (09:40):
Yeah, I don't think.
I thought we isn't Kaylee SmithPhantasmal or no, I don't know.
I thought we isn't Kaylee SmithPhantasmal or no, I don't know.
Yeah, kaylee Smith, phantasmal,didn't you read that?
I read it.
Yeah, I read that one.
Mari (09:52):
I just forgot it was her.
Ashley (09:54):
You might look at me differently after that one.
Mari (09:58):
I'm going to apologize for any audio issues that are
happening.
I looked and it was notsupposed to rain today and this
room is very loud.
Yeah, we have skylights andthey're beautiful, but then when
it rains it's also beautiful tolook at, but you hear it like
we had a tin roof and we don't,but it sounds like it, so some
of that will probably comethrough in the audio.
It will go away soon, I hope,because it wasn't supposed to
(10:20):
rain at all.
Jonathan (10:21):
So no worries.
Mari (10:24):
Yeah, so I thought that was an interesting branch out
for Fabled Fantasy.
I hope it works for them andthey're able to do more with
different authors and things,because, even if it's not
something that I may necessarilydo, I think it'd be an
interesting opportunity for lotsof people to do, because
there's people who maybecouldn't come to the con or
whatever because it's the timeof year or because they weren't
(10:46):
able to get tickets fast enough,that kind of thing.
But something like this theycan kind of plan out for ahead
of time if it ends up beingsomething they do often, yeah.
Ashley (10:54):
Look at them, yep, growing wings and flying, and
this is a whole new thing.
Jonathan (11:01):
It really is.
Mari (11:03):
Speaking of Fable Fantasy, they're still announcing
authors, right they are, oh yeah, yeah, so pretty soon we're
going to need to get to where westart reading some of the
authors and we're just going tohave to hope that the ones we
pick stay.
Ashley (11:17):
We need to know who we love ahead of time.
Right, right.
Mari (11:21):
Which a lot of the authors that are going to be there this
time we've actually havealready read, either because of,
just in general, some of thestuff we've read for the podcast
or some of the ones that aregoing to be back from last year.
So it'll be interesting.
It'll be interesting to seewhat we think of this year's
crop, Paramount.
Paramount is adapting divinerivals into a movie.
(11:44):
Divine rivals is by RebeccaRoss.
It's very well like,recommended, very well reviewed.
I've not read it, but I know alot of people really like it.
Had you read it, ash.
Ashley (11:55):
I did this.
I don't, I thought the first,so there's more than one book.
Jonathan (12:01):
Let me take a second.
Sorry, my brain is.
I think it's a duology newinformation.
Ashley (12:05):
I think it's a duology, but there there's definitely at
least two books.
I have not read the second book.
I did read the first book I'mcurious about.
I mean a movie's probably thecorrect route.
I don't think this was a veryum action-packed book by any
means, although there is a warsituation that's happening in
this world, it's an interestingconcept from the story
(12:29):
perspective, because it's alittle.
There's definitely fantasyelements in how they communicate
is what it is.
So I don't know how I feelabout this because I don't
remember.
I don't want to say that I wasbored.
I think that's very mean.
I wasn't bored.
I definitely finished the book.
I don't know how, maybe it will.
It will communicate better, youknow, in on the screen than it
(12:51):
did for me in the book yeah, andsometimes sometimes that
happens I haven't read it.
Mari (12:56):
Have either of you guys read it jonathan and kelly I
haven't read it.
Jonathan (12:59):
No, it's um.
The cover looks jonathan andkelly.
Have you guys read divine?
Mari (13:03):
rivals?
I have not, although the coverlooks Jonathan and Kelly.
Have you guys read DivineRivals?
Jonathan (13:06):
I have not, although the cover looks super familiar.
I feel like I've been in everyTarget that I've been in.
This book is on the shelfsomewhere it's everywhere.
Mari (13:16):
It really is, Ash.
Correct me if I'm wrong,because I've not read it.
Isn't it almost like a WorldWar II kind of setting, like a
historical kind of feel to it?
Ashley (13:26):
Yeah, that's probably a good explanation, but it's also
futuristic at the same time.
You know, like time stamp it,but it is definitely that
feeling you know pre cell phonesand you know computers and
(13:50):
things like that.
Um, yeah, it's been a while.
I'm really trying to remember.
Um, it was probably not toolong after the first book came
out, because I remember it beingvery soon for the second book
to come out and it kind of itdoes actually kind of leave on a
little bit of a cliffhanger, ifI remember.
So everybody emotionallyprepare for that.
(14:10):
Um, yeah, I mean, a lot ofthings sometimes translate
better on tv or in the moviesthan they do in a book.
I wasn't particularly likesuper excited for book two.
I wasn't like chomping at thebit, but it wasn't a bad story.
It was just a very like mellowstory, if that makes sense, and
it's ya and slow burn and or youknow like yeah, literally like
(14:33):
young adult.
I think they were like 18, 19.
Mari (14:36):
It wasn't a bad story though the script for the movie
is going to be written by sofiaalvarez, so we'll see.
We'll see how that translatesto visual media who's sofia
alvarez?
I have no idea.
It just said in the news thinglike I don't know what else
she's done.
Oh cool, I thought you werelike in the know.
Ashley (14:54):
I'm sorry, I had started to read about this is sofia, I
think it said, and I had to backout of it, so my phone's being
weird, sorry, but I think, um,it was saying that the team that
helped with the is it all theboys I loved, or something like
that the tv show.
Mari (15:13):
Yeah, oh, that was pretty good yeah, divine rival.
Ashley (15:18):
Sorry, I did have it up and then I got distracted by
something.
Yeah, so sofia alvarez is ascribe behind the first two to
all the boys I've loved beforefilms which are based on the
books by Jenny Han.
So Sophia will write the filmscript for the studio.
She made her directorial debutwith the Netflix film adaptation
of Sarah Dessen's along for theride, which is also another big
(15:42):
.
I don't know if she'sconsidered romance.
I think there's a bit moredrama involved with her books,
but sarah dustin is also a bigname in the book world, so I I
feel good about that, because II have seen several of the to
all the boys I've loved beforefilms and I thought those were
very, very good, interestingspeaking of adaptations of books
(16:03):
, this I didn't put this in thenotes, but the black dagger
brotherhood series that wasadapted to tv for the series for
black passion flicks came outlast week.
Mari (16:17):
Last thursday.
I watched it.
I read the first book.
I also watched it.
Um, I thought it was well done.
I don't know if anyone else butme has seen this.
I happen okay, I thought it waswell done um for it being like a
vampire story um kind of set inthe 90s.
Um, there was a lot ofopportunities for it to get real
(16:37):
hokey real fast, especiallywhen the main character is kind
of modeled after p Steele ofTypo Negative, which very
generic goth of the 90s kind ofvibe.
But I thought they did a reallygood job.
I'm looking forward to the nextone.
Jonathan (16:52):
All right, that reminds me not to go too deep
into a tangent, but I know wewere maybe discussing some
additional content for futureepisodes.
What about Buffy the VampireSlayer, the movie It'sy the
vampire?
Mari (17:07):
slayer the movie.
It's been forever since Iwatched the movie.
I watched it at the movietheater when it came out with my
dad, because my mom hateshorror.
So it was a thing me and my daddid is we went and watched not
that it was very hard, it waslike campy horror but we went
and watched it.
I'd be down to watch thatsometime, yeah I have never
watched it I don't know it's.
It came out way before the tvshow did, so.
(17:27):
It doesn't have, like, the sameactors or anything in it.
Um right, but it was theinception for the tv show is it
streaming?
Jonathan (17:36):
we'll find it somewhere you make this
suggestion we can.
We can find it somewhere.
I can find a, a DVD of it, I'msure.
Yeah, I mean, I think, maybe ifthere's a list going in I don't
mean to take us off track Ifthere's a list going for it,
maybe that's.
Mari (17:52):
That's a good one to add.
Yeah, yeah.
For sure.
Okay, next bit of news that wehave is Tor Publishing is
re-releasing T Kingfisher's NineGoblins, which is a short
little novella, and shedescribes it as a novella of low
fantasy and high mischief.
I've not read this one, eventhough it's been out.
(18:12):
I think the original came outin 2013.
So it's been out for a while,but it's getting a hardcover
version through Tor.
I've not read it yet, but it'son my list, my very much
shortening list of TK pictures Ihave left to read because I've
read almost all their stuff, butit looks really cute.
It's like nine goblins have togo in and, you know, have a
(18:36):
little mission.
But of course, nothing issimple because TK picture
doesn't write straightforward,boring stories.
So basically, the littlesynopsopsis says no one knows
exactly how the goblin war began, but folks will tell you that
goblins are stinking, slinking,filthy sheep, stealing hen,
house raiding, obnoxious, rudeand violent goblins would
(18:57):
actually agree with all this andmight throw in cowardly and
lazy two for good measuremeasure.
But goblins don't go aroundkilling people for fun, no
matter what the propagandaposters say.
And when a confrontation withan evil wizard lands a troop of
nine goblins deep behind enemylines, goblin sergeant neselka
must figure out how to keep herhapless band together and get
them home in one piece, despitea path filled with elves, trolls
(19:20):
, monsters and that mostterrifying of creatures a human
being.
That sounds so good.
Jonathan (19:27):
It sounds very jim henson-y yes, yes, very much so.
Mari (19:32):
So I'm excited about that.
I know New T Kingfisher I'msurprised is getting the graphic
(19:58):
audio treatment.
So not just an audiobook, butgraphic audio, like
dramatization with sound effectsand multiple actors and
multiple narrators and all thatgood stuff.
It's out now pretty excitedabout it.
Ashley (20:05):
I may end up rereading it I was gonna say you've read
these before, right I have.
Mari (20:09):
I read the whole series.
So I saw at the bookstore thefourth one, which of course is
death, and I'm like, oh, I wantto read a story about death,
because I do, because, duh, it'sme.
But of course I had to read thefirst three to get to death.
So that's how I ended upreading the whole little series
(20:30):
of the Four Horsemen, and it islike the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse as personified bythese not quite human creatures.
It's all the Laura ThalassaI've read so far, even though I
know she's got several otherseries that are very popular.
I haven't read them yet, but Ireally enjoyed that series and I
plan to read more of her works.
(20:50):
All right, next little bit ofnews.
Jonathan (20:54):
All right, next little bit of news Ash found that
Marissa Meyer's the LunarChronicles is getting an
animated film through WarnerBrothers, which is set to be out
November 3rd of 2028.
Mari (21:12):
Is that like?
Do we know what level ofanimation that's going to be?
Like standard old-fashionedBugs Bunny stuff?
I'm not sure.
If I had to guess, I wouldassume it's going to be like
arcana or like castlevania.
Have you seen either of thoseanimated stories?
I think it's going to be thatthat style.
Um, there's not any picturesyet, though, but uh, what they
have released is that noelrafael is the director, warner
brothers pictures animation.
(21:33):
So whatever warner's picturesanimation style normally is says
, warner brothers picturesationsand Locksmith Animation are
behind the project.
That has a script credited toLindsay Farentino and writing
partners Kaylin Egan and TravisSintel, and Christina Steinberg
serves as the producer.
I haven't read these, but Iknow you have right, ash, I have
(21:54):
.
Ashley (21:54):
It's like fairytale retellings in space right yeah,
it's futuristic, maybe, uh, Iwant to say well, and so it.
The series continues beyond,just, you know the, the first
book, obviously, but the firstbook is like a cinderella
retelling, and so it'sfuturistic, uh, you know, very
(22:15):
mechanic, mechanic, robots, butalso, I think, like Asian or
Chinese, and I might begaslighting that, please forgive
me, but I do vaguely rememberthat kind of you know, vibe,
situation happening or setting,scenario happening, and then the
story you know the, theadditional books introduces a
(22:37):
new character, um, and so Ithink one of them is like
Rapunzel, like a Rapunzelretelling, but it's all like,
very interconnected.
If I remember correctly, it'sbeen many, many years since I've
read it, but I do recall itbeing a very good story.
It is YA, um, so I don't thinkyou know the, the romance gets,
(22:57):
gets too crazy, but it's areally good book and I think you
get a little bit of a plottwist at the end of it, um,
which was nice when, if, if I'mremembering correctly.
But I am a fan of the seriesand so I'm excited to see, um,
you know, a version of it comeout on the screen so that more
people can get into the book.
I think Marissa Meyer is apretty big name as well.
Mari (23:20):
Yeah, I've heard really good things about this series,
like it's it was on my list toread because I've heard several
people talk about how good it is.
It's just, you know, theginormous TBR.
Ashley (23:32):
Yeah.
Jonathan (23:33):
Sorry.
Ashley (23:34):
I was going to say it's sorry.
Jonathan (23:38):
I was gonna say it's a big series too, it's like five
or six books, I think.
Ashley (23:40):
Is this gonna be an animation?
Jonathan (23:41):
yeah, it's animated, you said.
Well, the only reason I saythat is because um ilm is
involved in this and it lookslike the article reads that
there's um costume designersinteresting I assume, you know,
I, you know, I don't know, Idon't know how animation works,
but I assume they have to designcostumes too.
Mari (24:03):
You know, they have to bring a look to it.
Jonathan (24:05):
Design the look.
Ashley (24:06):
Yeah, if you look up the series on Amazon or whatever, I
do believe that they did areprint recently with new covers
and stuff, and so when I readthe article and it said it was
going to be animation, Iimmediately, you know, my brain
defaulted to the more recentbook covers and so like, that's
(24:30):
where my head went.
But yeah, I mean, I think, youknow, to an extent, there has to
be a certain like they'rebuilding this from the ground up
.
There's no you know, existingprecedents that I'm aware of.
I think this, you know, sherebuilt this world.
That is a true retelling in adifferent, you know location, in
a different time, in adifferent setting, completely.
Mari (24:55):
I hope they do some really good stuff with animation just
because, animation done well isfor all ages and it really
allows a lot of creative freedomthat you don't have to deal
with.
You know actors having to beput through dangerous situations
or you know tons of specialeffects or having to come up
with lots of extras and you knowclothing, all these people and
(25:16):
scenery and locations and Ithink it allows the effort to go
into the imagination of it.
I know that there's been athing going around for a while
now that they don't need to dolike an akatar as a live action.
Ashley (25:32):
But if ever akatar ever does get produced, it needs to
be animation I thought that wasan interesting shift to, you
know, for rebecca yaros, whenthey, you know, announced this
year that they're doing thegraphic novels for the fourth
wing series.
And so I wonder, if you know,should the amazon prime series
(25:53):
not work out?
You know, maybe that's thefuture for some of these, these
fantasy you know bringing to thescreen, you know, that that
graphic novel kind of portrayalin a series or on in the movies,
I think would be reallyinteresting as well.
Mari (26:09):
Yeah.
And then there's the idea oflike maybe if the animation does
well, they'll make a liveaction movie on down the road
like how to Train your Dragon.
Jonathan (26:17):
Yeah, good flex, oh, interesting.
So I'm sorry, I just kind ofwent down a rabbit hole the
animation companies because myfirst thought was there are
other, some of the otheranimation, some of the other
elements here that this couldfall into.
Would be like the dr seussstuff, because it looks like
(26:40):
warner brothers is set torelease, um, some new can, a new
animated cat in the hat.
And then I went down the rabbithole of who was involved in cat
in the hat.
It was illumination.
So then I was like you knowwhat?
That doesn't make sense becausethey're disconnected from it's.
Illumination is clearly notlocksmith, right, but it looks
like when you google or bingsorry, when you bing locksmith
(27:05):
it immediately pops up with, uh,some illumination credits.
So maybe the style of animationwill be similar to how the
Grinch stole Christmas with,yeah, that one could be
interesting.
Mari (27:25):
So we'll see.
We'll see, we'll find out in2028 so much time to wait yeah,
the last little bit of news Ihad is that we are in June.
June is Pride Month, lgbtq+ andwe encourage diversity and
stepping outside of your triedand true reads year round.
Maybe give a queer author a trythis month, regardless of your
(27:49):
genre of choice, and that is whywe chose the book we did
Brighter Than Scale, swifterThan Flame, by Neon Yang.
Neon Yang is a queer author andthe story is a queer story.
The love story aspect of it,anyways, is a queer story.
(28:11):
So we picked this book becauseit kept coming up on lists in a
bunch of places.
Um, it's it was just published,may 26th of 2025, so it's very
new.
Uh, it's a short novella.
It's got dragons and it keptbeing described everywhere that
I saw it as mandalorian withdragons.
I'm like, yes, I will take someof that.
(28:32):
Thank you very much.
Um, let me read the synopsisand we'll go from there.
Do you know the true identity ofthe masked guild knight of
Mithrandon?
She barely remembers herself.
The masked guild knight, eva,was 13 when she killed her first
dragon.
With her gift revealed, she wasshipped away to the Imperial
Capital to train in the rare artof dragon slaying Now a
(28:55):
legendary dragon hunter.
She has never felt truly athome, nor removed her armor in
public since that fateful dayall those years ago.
Yeva must now go to Quembao, afiercely independent and
reclusive kingdom.
It is rumored that theredragons are not feared, as is
right and proper, but insteadloved and worshipped.
It is rumored that there theyharbor a dragon behind their
(29:16):
borders.
While Yeva searches for thedreaded beast, she is welcomed
into the palace by Quenval'smonarch, lady Suki.
Though wary of each other, yevais shocked to find herself
slowly opening up to thebeautiful, mysterious queen.
As they grow closer, yeva longsto let Lady Suki see the person
behind the armor, but she knowsshe must fulfill her purpose
and slay the dragon.
Ultimately, she must decide whoor what she's willing to betray
(29:40):
her own heart or the sacredduty that she has called home
for so long.
Spoiler warning.
So if you haven't read the book, read it.
It's short and come back to us,unless you don't care about
spoilers.
Ashley (29:53):
So what do we think?
I like this book.
I thought you know they packedin so much.
I think what's the page count?
It's like 176 pages.
It's super short.
Yeah, yeah, but really, youknow, she flew through an absurd
amount of information in a verysmall A chapter.
(30:21):
Yeah, like her whole childhoodwas chapter one.
Is that what?
I'm like?
Turning to look at him, hecan't, I can't see him.
Yeah, it was.
It was why and I don't feellike I missed anything was the
other part of it.
So it was short, it was sweetand it was very sweet.
It was, you know, not a very,you know, intricate story, but I
I did think that it wasimpactful in what and and how
(30:45):
much it covered in such a shortamount of time kelly, what did
you think it was short?
Mari (30:49):
oh wait, I'm sorry ash how many stars did you give overall
?
I'm sorry, ash, you there, I'mhere.
Sorry, what was Ash?
How many stars did you giveoverall?
Ashley (30:55):
I'm sorry, ash you there , I'm here.
Sorry, what was the?
Mari (30:57):
question how many stars did you give overall?
Ashley (30:59):
Sorry, oh, I thought it was a four For 176 pages.
I was delighted.
It was a four, Kelly, how aboutyou?
Mari (31:07):
It wasn't a terrible book but definitely had a lot of plot
holes and inconsistencies.
The good part about it was atleast it was short.
I would say a two and a halfJonathan.
What'd you think?
Jonathan (31:20):
I agree with Kelly.
It was like um, it was.
Uh.
I'm sorry, kelly, how manystars did you end up giving it?
Two and a half?
Yeah, I mean, I agree withKelly.
I think it's a um it was.
It was just, it was a shortbook and it it just didn't.
It just didn't vibe with me.
I thought it could have been somuch cooler had she given it
(31:42):
enough time to kind of shake outthe details, but it just didn't
land because there just wasn'tenough to hook me.
It almost felt like I was goingto get hooked and then things
would just escalate in adifferent or in a direction and
they would just take a chapterand just really finish.
(32:04):
The end of the book was amazingin terms of how much they they
packed into one.
One thing, I think.
Where it really fell apart forme, though, was when, like when,
I put two and two together, uh,over the parallel between the
periodic blood illness uh, whatwas it what?
(32:25):
how did she say blood?
Mari (32:26):
illness or blood.
Jonathan (32:27):
Yeah, yeah, it was just like.
Mari (32:29):
Oh, so once a month you have a different personality I
think kelly turned to me at thatpart and we were like, oh where
dragon yes, I love that.
Jonathan (32:46):
Um, this isn't our first where dragon store or
story, though yours no, no, no,that we had.
Uh, was that one we read.
That time I got drunk and savedthe demon.
Mari (32:56):
Yeah that's a podcast, I think I do like that term,
though.
Jonathan (33:00):
Good, good, good call on that.
Mari (33:02):
I've never seen one come about on a monthly cycle, though
yeah, there's a lot ofdifferent lores for like dragon
shifters um, depending on theworld or the stories you read.
The newest juliet side note hasdragon shifters in it.
Jonathan (33:17):
Is that Firebird?
Yeah, somebody said that,ashley, did you say I'm not
going to like that one?
Possibly I have it on my TBR.
I'm scared to read it now.
Ashley (33:29):
There were concerns about the representation of the
actual triggers.
Mari (33:35):
Yeah, I read about that.
I finished the book, I read it.
I finished it, I don't know,maybe last week, last weekend,
maybe I thought it was fine forwhat it was.
As far as the triggers, like, Ithink that if you are reading a
even a fantasy world set inancient rome, rome is known for
its slave trade and its greatinfrastructure, so we're not
(34:00):
talking about the ducks in thisbook.
Ashley (34:01):
You know I wasn't surprised, but I think a lot of
people felt blindsided by thatnot being listed in the triggers
or like the warnings.
Like people had big, bigfeelings about that.
Yeah, I heard a lot of talkabout it, and so I warned
Jonathan like, like, hey, thismight not be your jam, but we
love juliet cross.
Yeah, I love juliet cross.
Mari (34:21):
I would say her fantasy, her like romanicy tech stuff as
opposed to more of the um cutesymodern stuff.
But like the say spell is likemore cutesy modern um fantasy
like her, her like more fantasyromancy stuff tends to all the
stuff I've read, all tendstowards dark romancy.
I would say in general, if Ihad to label it um, so like if
(34:45):
you have triggers, like read itbefore you get into it to know
if it's something that you'regonna enjoy or not, you know
right trigger bonus my my ratingfor this book.
I gave it a three.
I thought that it was.
It was fine.
I thought it was kind of flat.
I thought things we were toldabout, a lot of things about
(35:07):
being shown.
It almost felt like this wasthe Cliff Notes version of a
greater book.
Yeah, it felt like this is the,this is the pitch, and then we
didn't get the actual story,cause I feel like the story was
there, it just wasn't expandedupon Like it would have been
amazing to like see firsthand.
(35:27):
You know, how great of afighter and a badass person Yiva
was.
Well, we never saw her you know,we just we just told she was
real badass, you know, and itwould have been great to have a
better feel for how important itwas to her to have that armor
and that mask and that likealmost superhero alter ego
(35:50):
rather than what.
Almost very early on she goesto visit the queen or the, the
girl king, and like I felt likeshe took her mask off right away
for the girl king.
I'm like, oh okay, that would.
That happened really early.
So I enjoyed the concept of thebook and I wanted more out of
(36:12):
it.
I guess ultimately which Idon't know that it was the right
story for the novella, likelike I think it needed multiple
books or a longer book.
It needed more detail, becauseI felt that the characters were
flat, because I didn't see themdo enough.
I just kind of it felt like Iwas being told a story around
like the fire you know like acampfire story, as opposed to
(36:32):
something with some depth andhaving been put together ahead
of time I don't think we hadtime for depths than 176 pages
it didn't have to be.
Jonathan (36:43):
I mean, I'm not an author, right, but I agree with
mari it it felt, it felt almostincomplete interesting which I
mean it's not a necessarily badthing.
Mari (36:55):
Like if you want more, the author leaves you wanting more,
like I would want the author towrite like a full-length book
like this.
I'm the the author.
They have other books that arelonger length.
Not not all their works arenovellas.
I'm I'm really interested inreading some of their longer
length stuff because I think,given more real estate to put
(37:16):
stuff in, I think they couldcreate some real interesting
worlds.
You know, yeah, this, thisformat for this story didn't do
it for me, so I gave it a threeI agree the cover was amazing,
though, like that cover alonemade me want to read it.
It was very beautifully done.
What did we think of fantasyworld building aspects?
Ashley (37:37):
I thought it was fair Again, when you're trying to
pack so much in with not a lotof time, right?
I mean, I definitely felt thatthe writer, the author, was very
like, very I want to say script, that's not the right word.
It was almost poetic, like itall flowed very nicely.
(38:00):
It was all very mellow.
Nothing was ever really urgentor crazy or chaotic.
It was a very peaceful book forme.
I didn't mind the worldbuilding.
I don't think it wasextravagant.
I think they did what theycould in a very, in a very short
book and, uh, I thought it wasokay.
(38:20):
I thought it was a three, Idon't.
I didn't feel anything waslacking enormously, except more
detail yeah, I'm on that samepage.
Jonathan (38:27):
Um, I didn't think it was, I didn't think the world
was was built very.
It was like a house of cards,like it was.
You could see a facade, butthere was no depth to it, no
real uh, sustenance or substancefor me.
And, like I, I struggle becausethe television shows do it in
(38:48):
like 30 minutes, right, whetherit's a, um, a cartoon plot,
everything kind of getsdeveloped.
We're here, this happened, andbecause this happened, we're now
doing this.
And I didn't get that vibealthough I did get very kind of
frozen vibes out of this story,like uh, I'm not, I'm not, I
(39:09):
can't like articulate why was itthe girl king, you think?
um, like the you know I'm not.
It might have been like thecavern, the idea that we're
hiding something, uh, this,we're hiding our, our magical
prowess from, from outsiders,kind of thing.
Yeah, and it's.
(39:29):
I think I almost would haveliked to have a better, a
stronger understanding of whatwas actually being risked.
I don't think I I captured that.
Ashley (39:44):
I think it was just orders what do you mean?
say more like her orders were togo and kill the suspected
dragon that was being harboredin that, in that land.
Okay, so the the risk wascompleting the order and being
the soldier that she's become,or opening herself to this new
(40:08):
world of thoughts and feelingsand emotions, and not complying
with what she's just being toldto do and instead following her
heart, knowing that there wasmore to the story yeah, I think
also like the like, the stakeswas that if she didn't do that,
the idea was that the emperorwas then going to like send in
(40:30):
troops and take over what theguild knights did was going to
kind of infringe on their way ofdoing things right.
Mari (40:38):
I thought that was the vibe I got and she had to
succeed right because of that Ithink it.
Ashley (40:43):
You know it comes to that too, right?
So, like, not only is her own,you know sense of being and
potential shame and notcompleting this task right,
because this is all she knowsnow is, you know, being this,
this soldier, this warrior, youknow this badass that gets the
job done.
So if she's not that person,then who is she?
But then you know the thesnowball effect of if she
(41:06):
doesn't do it, then who's goingto come in and try to do it for
her Right and and shit goes, youknow, sideways faster.
Mari (41:14):
You didn't get that, no, no, as far as the fantasy world
building, I actually thought wasthat the general aspect of it
was pretty well done for a shortof a book as it was, so I gave
it a four.
I thought that the kind ofasian culture references the
political structure, some of themachinations and magic and lore
(41:35):
laid down, some some goodfoundation.
Like I said, it feels like ateaser or like a trailer for
another book that's coming orseries of books that are coming.
You know what I mean.
So, I feel like we got a peekinto a world that could be
really interesting, so for methat aspect of it was a four.
(41:55):
What did we think about theromance?
Ashley (41:58):
I thought it was very slow burn.
I think it's interesting tokind of see, you know, the
strong, silent type in a woman.
It again, it wasn't anythinglife changing for me again, but
I did feel, you know again, thatthe author was very poetic
almost in her writing and I didenjoy that part of.
(42:21):
You know they didn't reallyflesh it out but it did feel
very slow and natural feelingfor them to have bonded the way
that they did.
I thought, you know, addressingthe queer part of this story
was very tasteful and tactful.
It wasn't in your face, itwasn't, you know, overwhelming.
(42:44):
If that's not somebody's cup oftea they're not going to.
You know, feel negatively aboutwhat they've read.
I thought it was just a reallypretty love story that was
actually fairly integral to theplot of the story.
For a change, I don't thinkwe've read one like that in a
while.
So I thought it was a three anda half.
(43:05):
It was polite, it was tasteful,it wasn't, you know, wild.
Jonathan (43:12):
So I'm going to disagree here on this one.
I was like I didn't see a slow,slow burn.
There wasn't enough book for aslow burn.
This book was a match.
It just kind of like it was.
It was on me before I knew whatwas happening and then by the
time I was like, oh yeah, we'regetting, we're doing this now.
(43:34):
Okay, cool, um, it was gone.
So it was, we had a birthdayparty for a cousin one year and,
uh, they forgot to get thecandles and uh, so they were
like you know what?
We have matches and you can seewhere this is going.
We sang happy birthday realquick.
I don't even think we made itthrough the song.
(43:55):
That's kind of where I was atwith this.
With this one, uh, in terms of,in terms of romance, it was like
, oh, here it is.
Oh crap, it's gone.
Okay, cool, there was.
There was more, I guess andmaybe I'm conflating romance and
spice here Um, because I feellike we.
I feel like we, I feel like Igot there and then all of a
(44:16):
sudden it was in the rear viewmirror and we were back on to
like a quest for the truth, andthere I didn't really dig the
romance again until until theend, when she was like, yeah, uh
, just take my dad's bones.
And I was like, oh, how, howlovely of you.
Um, romance, if I was going togive it a rating, I'll probably
(44:39):
give it the same rating, but mypoint of disagreement is that it
was a slow burn.
What about you, mari?
Mari (44:47):
For me it was probably a two, and it's the same reason I
had issues with the book.
I feel like we were told therewas a romance and it could have
been a real interesting romance,like it would have been really
interesting to see more dialogueand flirting between them when
they were each like, starting tolike each other but also had
(45:08):
these huge secrets that theywere each hiding.
That would have been reallyinteresting dialogue.
But we're not.
We're not shown any of that.
We're just told that, oh okay,well, yiva likes the, the girl
king, and so like I don't know,it felt like second meeting or
something.
She's this whole big deal abouther not showing her face.
(45:31):
She's all of a sudden, you know, changing and changing out of
part of her armor and then youknow that felt like it went away
really fast and I feel likewe're told that they were in
love.
But I didn't feel like it wasvery it was shown to me in any
sort of dialogue.
So once again, it feels like ithad this potential.
(45:51):
It was a really interestingsetup, but the book didn't quite
make me feel the romance vibes.
So that would be a two for me.
Jonathan (46:01):
Would you say it's maybe missing.
The book is missing the abilityto present imagery in words.
Mari (46:09):
I don't know that it's imagery so much as it is details
.
You know so much of books andstories that I like anyways end
up being like snippets ofconversations or particular
scenes and things that happened.
Like everyone who's seen andloves the Pride and Prejudice
(46:30):
movie which I love, just like Ilove the miniseries, just like I
love the book but the Pride andPrejud prejudice movie uh, the
new one there's the scene wheredarcy flexes his hand and all I
have to do is say that, andanyone who knows that movie
instantly that that the wholescene, the whole imagery, the
vibe, the feeling, the emotionsbehind that, you know exactly
(46:53):
what it is like.
It conjures so much and Ididn't feel like there were
snippets like that in this bookinteresting, very, very, and
that just may be how I like toconsume romance.
You know.
I mean like, romance is verypersonal and different people
like different aspects of it.
I I like snapshots and momentsthat that convey either
(47:16):
snapshots and moments orsnippets of conversation and
flirting.
That convey a lot.
You know about the charactersand how they feel for each other
and I don't feel like I gotthat out of this book for me
yeah, does it feel almost uh,and I don't want to come out the
wrong way but does it feelalmost juvenile?
yeah, I mean, it feels like,yeah, like a story you tell
(47:39):
around a campfire, feels like,um, like a fairy tale, like oh
and then, uh, you know,cinderella and the prince fell
in love yeah, that's the romanceokay, I guess they did, you
know.
So it feels like a fairyytale,folktale kind of thing, which
(48:00):
doesn't make it bad.
It's just not what I waslooking for out of the book
based off of the description.
Jonathan (48:05):
I agree.
I think there's something to besaid for us to be sitting here
wanting or hoping that therecould have been more.
I think it's there's.
There's's something here, but Idon't think we got enough to.
We got a little, a little, alittle taste, but we didn't
really get the I want, I want, Iwant a fucking bite we got the
(48:28):
amuse bouche, now we need, like,the multi-course meal, like.
Mari (48:32):
I definitely want to read more by this author.
I think that they have aninteresting way of building
worlds and an interesting way oftelling stories that I think
could benefit from longer books,so I plan on reading some of
their novellas or novels notnovellas, novels like
full-length novels.
I would like to read afull-length novel by them.
What do we think about thespice, speaking of food?
Ashley (48:55):
oh, there was no spice no, you didn't get any there was
, there was, no, there was zerospice hint nope I mean yeah, a
hint is still zero are you?
Jonathan (49:04):
you're talking about boiled chicken.
Ashley (49:05):
That's what you got nope , boiled chicken is still
sustenance there was not spice.
No, there was romance.
I'm not mad at it, okay, I'mjust.
I'm quantitatively answeringthe question.
There was no spice.
Mari (49:24):
You walked by the kitchen and you got a whiff of the smell
of a spice.
Jonathan (49:28):
Yeah, it kept going.
I thought it was kissing.
Mari (49:29):
Was there kissing?
I don't think kissing was everdetailed Like there was sexy
times.
That happened in theory, thatwe're told.
Ashley (49:39):
But there were touches and caresses.
Okay, there's, I'll give it aone.
It was.
Mari (49:43):
There was a one of space one of space that sounds like a
star trek character, give itsalt, didn't even give it the
pepper I gave it the salt Idon't disagree.
Jonathan (49:55):
um, like I said, I feel like everything kind of
just happened in like, likebankers hours, like hey, we're
open, we're closed, um, but Iunderstood what was like I was
at first.
So I'm going to be like.
I came into this book and likeI was like, oh, we're, we chose
(50:15):
this book.
And like I was like, oh, we're,we chose this book.
Uh, pride month, uh, uh, we'vegot a queer story.
And I was thinking about, likeyou know, last year I think was
it last or two years ago orsomething like that we read um
Sebastian's book.
And so I was like, oh, okay,then we just come and like hang
out here for for this story andsee how it compares.
(50:37):
Like that was going to be mybenchmark.
But then I was like, oh, no, no, no, this is a, this is a are
are the characters we're lookingfor here aren't are definitely
different than what, um, whatSebastian uh had plotted out.
So I was like, all right, well,I got to refocus and pay
attention um, a little bit more.
(50:58):
So I was like it was on, it wason me, and I thought like, oh,
okay, this happened faster thanI, than I, than I anticipated.
Um, and now it's gone, but Ithought for what had happened.
It was very, it was.
It was okay.
Um, I won't give it a wholebunch of stars, but I'll give it
at least one more than thany'all did.
Mari (51:20):
I'll give it to two.
I give it a one.
I feel that we were told thatthere was spice and that's where
it was left.
So, once again, that doesn'tmake it a bad book.
You don't have to have spicefor it to be a good book, but
this is definitely a low spicetype of story.
My last question about thisbook, but this is definitely a
low spice type of story.
Last question about this bookIs it a kissing book?
Jonathan (51:42):
Yes, I'm going to say yes, but only because if they
didn't develop that spice, ifthey didn't have that connection
, the emperor would just came inand murked some folks.
They would have found out whatwas going on.
And if that connection wasn'tthere to rescue the situation at
the end, then it would end verydifferently.
(52:03):
So I'm going to say yes.
Mari (52:06):
Yeah, I kind of think so as well.
I would say yes to CitizenRogue.
I think that the story wouldnot have happened the way it
happened if it hadn't been fortheir romance with each other.
Anything else you want to sayabout the book?
Ashley (52:19):
I thought it was a delightful little book.
Yeah, it's just a little babybook.
Jonathan (52:25):
It's a period piece, pun intended.
I didn't get that at first, andthen it was like getting
slapped in the face with it allat once and I think like I was
in the car driving and I waslike, oh okay, I get it now.
Cool, and I kind of liked that,like I thought it was like I, I
(52:46):
I feel like there was so muchthat could be that I wish I had
more knowledge of.
So that's my, that's mytakeaway.
The book wasn't terrible, itjust wasn't.
Mari (52:59):
There wasn't enough meat on the bone for me yeah, it
definitely gave me, got meinterested in reading more of
what the author could do in alonger format.
I don't know that I would rightnow, I don't know that I would
say that I would read another ofthe author's novellas, but I'm
interested in reading one oftheir full-length novels for
sure.
Anything else before we move on?
(53:19):
No, I think we covered it Allright.
So before we move on to ourlittle outro, I will say it's
halfway through the year.
We're not doing a full mid-yearreview kind of thing, but just
in general, what that you'veread has been outstanding for
you in the first half of theyear, um, and or what are you
looking forward to reading inthe second half of?
Ashley (53:41):
the year, bro.
My pre-order pile is scary.
Why is my amazon cart so scary?
Jonathan (53:46):
hold on, sorry because I put a basketball hoop in
there.
Ashley (53:51):
Oh, geez, sorry guys, I I feel like we read a couple of
really good books.
You guys didn't care for the myCoraline books this year, but I
really love them.
So I'm excited for book three.
Of course, we got Onyx Storm inJanuary and that was a whole
event in itself.
After what?
(54:12):
Two years of waiting, god.
I feel like we've had somereally, really good books in the
first half of the year, but Iam stoked for the second half of
the year.
We have I don't where do weeven start.
So we have the, the, thegermani fanfic retelling that's
coming out, or like the, therevision right in july.
(54:35):
We get accomplice to theVillain.
In August.
We have Callie Hart coming outin the fall.
Jonathan (54:42):
I haven't read Callie Hart's, already been out.
Ashley (54:45):
Abigail Owen in September.
Alchemized in September.
September's going to be a busybook month for us.
Jonathan (54:53):
This month's going to be busy.
I'm going to get cracking.
There's so many is right Likeaudible how to sail audible how
to sail.
Ashley (55:01):
I made them buy all of the Jennifer Armentrout stuff
for the blood and ash series.
So there's like five bookswaiting for me there.
Jonathan (55:09):
Yeah, the pen coal stuff I have.
I just got there.
I got her limited edition stuffthe special edition.
Yeah, with the painted edgesthose came.
So now I feel like I'm ready toread her stuff.
But I have to put it on theback burner, because during that
sale was some other stuff byCarissa Broadbent Mother of
(55:30):
Death and Dawn, children of theFallen Gods, daughter of no
Worlds.
Mari (55:34):
Those are all things that are'm really curious about what
you guys are high on that listtoo, july 1st is included until
then.
Jonathan (55:40):
So there's all that stuff going on.
Plus I wanted to see if I couldknock out light Lark and then,
and then I added in the balanceof sort of glass.
So I want to get through thattoo.
Yeah, so there's all that, andthen I still have some some
stuff from juliet cross that Ihave to get through.
Mari (56:01):
So it's gonna be a busy, busy second half and um, well, I
have read a lot so far thisyear, but I'd say the one
standout for me the beginninghalf of the year um, it's a
little bit of an older book.
It was published in 2020, 2020.
It's not new, but it's new tome.
It's His Secret Illuminations,written by Scarlett Gale, and
(56:23):
it's a romancy story, but it's adifferent take on a romancy
story.
So the female main character isVi or Pan and she is this kind
of physically imposing, likelarge, badass warrior, like
she's a fighter-type person.
She's also bubbly and likesflowers.
(56:44):
And the male main character ofthe story is this magical, very,
very sheltered, magical monkthat she rescues and they have
to go on like a mission to tofind these secret books and his
(57:05):
whole world is just blown by herand by seeing everything
outside of the little cloisterof life that he's had.
It's a.
It's a little bit of a of a ofa longer read.
It's like 400 and somethingpages, but I very much enjoyed
it.
I still haven't read the sequel.
It's like 400 and somethingpages, but I very much enjoyed
it.
I still haven't read the sequel.
It's a duology.
I'm waiting on Libby for thesequel, but I very much enjoyed
that in the first half of theyear.
(57:26):
That was a surprising five starread for me, and I found that
through a Reddit post wherepeople were asking for like
unconventional romantic storiesbecause they were tired of like
kind of the same.
You know, 18 year old badassfemale main character who's good
at everything and 500 year oldshadow daddy who all of a sudden
(57:47):
loves her more than anything inthe world.
Alright, so thanks for listeningto of sorts and soulmates.
Before we go, make sure tocheck show notes, rate, review
and subscribe to us on yourpodcast app of choice.
It helps others to find us.
Follow us on Instagram at ofswords and soulmates, or join
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Check us out on our website ofswords and soulmatescom or on
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(58:08):
If you'd like to offer asuggestion for a future episode,
reach out to us.
Or if you would like to tell uswhat you've enjoyed in the
first half of the year or whatyou're looking forward to, reach
out to us and interact.
If you want to read along withus as we prepare for a new
episode, follow us on Goodreadsat Episodes and Soulmates for
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(58:30):
club.
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You can follow us on there fortidbits.
And, last but not least, wehope you'll join us in two weeks
for our next episode when wewill be discussing captured by
the fey beast by mallory dunlan.
Thank you for watching.
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