It's the final chapter of our deep dive into the Kingdom of Blunder with the oopsiside for Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig, where we talk about what we forgot to talk about.  To go along with this episide, we're re-sampling Elijah Craig Rye.  We don't sample nearly enough rye.

Rachel Gillig, Author

Elijah Craig | Home Page

Stephen and Mark dive back into the Kingdom of Blunder for the second installment of the Shepherd King duology by Rachel Gillig. In this installment, all stories will be concluded. The mystery of the poem revealed, and a world will be changed for good or ill.

We loved this series, and it's only appropriate that we try a bottle from a label we have nothing but love for as well. In this episode we sample The Kiawah Blend from 2XO by Dixon Dedman.

Rachel Gillig, Author

Limited Edition Whiskey Blends | 2XO Whiskey

Tonight it's all about gothic poetry, horrific encounters, and the genius of Australian whiskey.

USA | Starward Australian Whisky

Rachel Gillig, Author

Tonight's episode brings us back to fantasy of the gothic kind.  Blunder is a cursed kingdom, surrounded by a mist that snatches people into the wood, never to be seen again.  All the families of the kingdom are named after trees, and the currency of power comes in the form of a deck of magical playing cards. These cards were made by a long dead king at the price of destroying himself to do it one piece at a time. Tonight we discuss ONE DARK WINDOW by Rachel Gillig.

So, that's not morbid or anything.  A dark and supernatural take requires a bourbon whiskey just as dark and mythical to pair with it.  Tonight's bourbon is MOONLIGHT MAYHEM.

Oh, right.  It's a dystopian YA novel involving students and probably organized by either Jigsaw or the guy from Seven.  Tell the kids what they've won, Bob!  They've won DEATH!  We're going to need a stiff drink, and we get one with Barmen 1873.

Welcome to dystopian world of the early 20th Century where dragons live alongside humans, everyone is at the brink of war, and the fate of the world is in the hands of a bunch of misfit students being blackmailed into building what might be a doomsday weapon in the novel "A Language of Dragons".  So...Tuesday.  As our bourbon, Stephen and Mark will be embibing a little alchemy of their own with Dark Arts.

As the boys talk about some old priests, they revisit a really old friend.  A less than half full bottle of Willett that's been sitting in the garage for 5 years is finally getting cracked open to see what demons lurk inside.

Stephen and Mark delve into the world of extraordinary circumstances and people. Our book for this episode is Conclave by Robert Harris, the novel which is the basis for the Academy Award Nominated movie. A story about extraordinary circumstances and the decisions that must be made.

The bourbon tonight is not a bourbon at all, but a Canadian Whisky brought to us the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky.

IT'S A KIND OF MAGIC!

Stephen and Mark discuss the magical systems in Onyx Storm, and cast spells on themselves with Knob Creek.

Well, we made it. The end of the third book.  There's a lot of twists, turns, love and rage that look eerily similar, the defilement of a throne, broken furniture, broken promises, betrayals in the name of love, and angst angst angst.  But now it's over. We can finally relax. We....WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE ARE TWO MORE BOOKS??? Pass the Ransom Bourbon, please.