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Tis’ a Dark Age Indeed…👯‍♀️US: 🆘We are officially sending out a distress signal to anyone in the galaxy who is willing to listen! 📣Pierce Brown!? Are you out there?! If so, please send help because we’re pretty sure we’re not gonna make it! 

…Wait… what was that? 

😈Pierce Brown: “The old rage in colder ways, for they alone decide how to spend the young.” 

US: 🥺🥺

We’re not going to sugarcoat the truth for you. If you’ve made it this far, you already know that things are not looking good for our heroes of the Republic. In fact, things are extremely dire as the war wages and each character is forced to confront their worst fears. Has all of this death and horror been for nothing? Is Eo’s dream dead? Do any of us really have the power to rewrite our destiny and choose to live for something more, or are we fated to be crushed under the oppressor’s heel? 

We kicked off Sci-Fi Summer with a full-length episode introducing the genre and setting the scene for a closer analysis of science fiction. Next, we covered the original trilogy in detail, book one of the second trilogy and have officially rated every book a resounding five stars. Last week’s episode had us living in fear, and our intuition couldn’t have been more spot on because in Dark Age there is something genuinely unspeakable lurking in every shadow… in a way we never saw coming. 

Today we’re diving into book five: Dark Age, the middle book of the second major plot arc and what is now being referred to as the “Iron Gold Trilogy.” Political games are being played on an expert level, bloodlines are revealed so new leaders can ascend, and the disturbing jump scare to top all disturbing jump scares now lives rent free in both of our minds. 

We bring you our spoiler free reviews, “Five Sentence Summary” and all our faves and least faves, but also discuss sci-fi themes, differences and similarities to fantasy, the romance, genre miscategorization, lore and fun facts, quotes, character growth and relatability, and most importantly… themes. And lastly, we’ll be asking ourselves why this isn’t considered a horror novel, especially after Pierce himself said that fear was the central theme of this book. Bravo, Goodman. And congratulations on fulfilling your goal. We’re terrified. 

Next week we’ll continue our coverage with the FINAL available installation in the Red Rising series: Light Bringer. How will we feel after all is said and done, and how uncivilized will we become waiting for Red God, the official conclusion?

Red Rising Character Art mentioned: @redmurphy.art on IG

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: a hoodie from @TheLastBookStore

Liz is wearing: our branded besties and the books beanie https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

And an Anne of Green Gables “I Can’t I’m in the Depths of Despair!” T-shirt from Amazon | * https://amzn.to/4zYfTME

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Penn Cole returns to Besties and the Books Podcast returns to Besties to prepare us for all things Burn of the EverFlame! The final installation in her New York Times bestselling Kindred’s Curse Saga drops EVERYWHERE on September 8th! That means that exactly one short week from today we will all know how Diem and Luther’s journey ends… for better or for worse. How high on The Cryometer™ should you expect to get? We’ll tell ya! 

This interview is completely spoiler free so we hope that it gets you excited for book four, and if you’re new here, or to this series, that it’ll encourage you to go pick it up! We have deep dives on Spark, Glow, AND Heat if you need a refresher, and a previous Penn Cole interview in which we ask her completely different questions than the ones we dive into today! 

Today we’ll talk about how Penn handled the pressure to get this book out, how Burn is different than the previous three books, what the overarching themes and tropes are, and the unexpected POV’s! Penn explains how important redemption and growth are to this story and how the heroine’s journey often can look very different from the hero's experience, and why this is important. We also get the tea on whether or not this story is truly finished, what’s next on Penn’s horizon, and… the Hulu adaptation! 

Stick around for all of this, PLUS an unexpected smash or pass, Penn Cole style. And make sure to follow Penn @authorpenncole and at PennCole.com!

👀*Keep an eye out for our deep dive on Burn, (dropping soon) and with it, an emotional and spoiler-full response from Penn about the ending of this beautiful era. We can’t wait to share it with you!*

Refresh your Kindred’s Curse memory with our deep dive playlist including Spark of the Everflame, Glow of the Everflame, and Heat of the Everflame!

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHf5v0KOoZMmK0bBoRxZWmqNtG88fxs4v&si=GkJUtK08LegXPepj 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

First Penn Cole interview with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

THE Sheila Masterson yaps with us about going trad & her NYT Bestseller The Poison Daughter! Don’t miss it! https://youtu.be/V9MpoOX3CyQ?si=e2uOKPVRQjsIhVCb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: A discontinued Crescent City neckalace

Liz is wearing : An “Obey Me” tee by @darkanddisturbedshop | Code: VEGAN10 | 

https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/obey-tee?_pos=1&_sid=d26e6a748&_ss=r

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Support the show

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Liz 
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We’re reacting to all things related to the cover and overview releases for ACOTAR 6: A Court of Splintered Harmony, AKA The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement 1, AKA: ACOSH, annnd ACOTAR 7: A Court of Forgotten Melody, AKA The Valkyrie Cycle: Movements 2 & 3, AKA ACOFM, by none other than our lord and savior Sarah J. Maas. If you’re new to us, the book community in general, or the SJM fandom, just know that we love our abbreviations. #cantstopwontstop 😉

YOU GET A MAASPIRACY! And YOU GET A MASSPIRACY! And wait… just look under your seat (or anywhere on the internet) for another special treat! Because YOU GET A MASSPIRACY TOO! 

We put on our tin foil hats (seriously, you’re welcome for that visual) and take a deep dive into what we think about: the titles, the cover art, the release date, the color gradients, the page count, and quite literally, every tiny other breadcrumb that Sarah has teased and her insane fandom has speculated on. We react to positive and negative opinions of what little we know, and dive into the connections that we think these new ACOTAR books will have with Throne of Glass and Crescent City and what that might mean for all of our beloved characters. 

Was SJM heavily influenced by Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle that was also written in four parts, one named Ride of the Valkyries and another entitled Twilight of the Gods? Is Koschei keeping The Thirteen trapped in his lake? Is it a coincidence that in Norse mythology there are often specifically 13 Valkyries? Why does the King of Adarlan’s sword have the same name (Nothung) as the magical Valkyrie sword in the Ring Cycle? 

We’ll give you evidence to substantiate the claims that Bryaxis is actually Kaltain Rompier, that the Stygian Suite (gifted from Sam to Celaena and later performed by the orchestra as an act of rebellion) in addition to the Stygian Spiders on the cover of ACOF-MELODY (!!!) are a clear call out to a TOG crossover, and why we think Crescent City Four will be released before ACOTAR 8, the final piece to this intricately woven puzzle. 

Stick around for all of this, PLUS a MAASpiracy themed fave and fail and a smash or pass bookish release edition! 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

THE Sheila Masterson yaps with us about going trad & her NYT Bestseller The Poison Daughter! Don’t miss it! https://youtu.be/V9MpoOX3CyQ?si=e2uOKPVRQjsIhVCb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: A discontinued Valkyrie t-shirt from @wildeShadows | https://www.wildeshadows.com

Liz is wearing : A discontinued “Climb the Mountain” ACOSF tee from @shopsecondbreakfast

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Support the show

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Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
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Liz 
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Ashley
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At this point we think most of us are willing to admit that romance and fantasy novels saved publishing. We watched Barnes & Noble come back from the brink of collapse, Target bring back their book section, and movies made from book adaptations like Wuthering Heights and The Housemaid bring people back to theaters. If you don’t believe us, maybe you’ll believe math - just go look it up. 

These genres have historically been diminished in seriousness and importance because women not only see themselves in these stories, but experience joy and pleasure from reading and watching this content. And nothing makes the patriarchy more angry than women having a good time and critiquing the system in the process. 

So today, in that similar vein, we will be talking about serious and not-so-serious things that we’ve learned from this community and “kinks” we’ve unlocked because of the books we’ve read in the fantasy, romance, and romantasy genres. Because of the tenacity, intelligence, perseverance and all out badassery of the women who came before us, we’re able to talk about tentacles, flavored “juices,” tactical pants, mafia men, stalkers, and spicy audio on a public platform. WHAT A DAY TO BE ALIVE!

And then we take it even further to random pieces of useful information we (and others) have learned from reading these books, and why this community is so important. Everything from the difference between a Wyvern and a dragon, to bodies preserved in bogs, to how to load a canon are on the table, with an overarching theme of: YOU ARE NOT (AND NEVER) ALONE. We promise. This community has taught us that much.

Stick around for all of this, a fave and fail movie edition, and a smash or pass upcoming MMC edition. 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: Discontinued Crescent City Necklace

Liz is wearing : Obey Me Tee from @darkanddisturbed shop | CODE: VEGAN10 https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/obey-tee?_pos=2&_sid=259fdc487&_ss=r

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Support the show

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail

The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson has taken the Romantasy and Dark Fantasy world by storm and as of August 18th will be rereleased and traditionally published by Zando Publishing in hardcover and dual narrated audiobook! We’re here to celebrate with none other than Sheila herself, the beautiful, smart, and incredibly talented woman behind one of our favorite books of the year, multiple monthly picks for Besties and the Book Club, and USA bestselling author of The Poison Daughter! 

You’ve seen the iconic purple cover everywhere. You’ve heard about the chronic illness representation, the sister bond that pulls on every reader’s heartstrings, the forced marriage between enemy kingdoms, and a badass female assassin who unalives dangerous men with her poison kiss… until one day a certain man proves he’s immune. 😉If you haven’t heard about it, now you have absolutely no excuses. Read it right now! 

We were introduced to Sheila and her amazing books by our friend and Besties & the Book Club member Katie over @katieandthebooks who relentlessly nominated The Poison Daughter until it got picked, and we are SO eternally grateful to have been introduced to a new book bestie AND an auto-buy author.

Just to reiterate, today’s episode will be completely spoiler free, but if Sheila is willing to share any spoilers about upcoming works, we’ll give you a quick warning ahead of time! This episode is here for us to get to know Sheila better and to find out what you’ll be getting into when you pick up her dark romantasy The Poison Daughter, as well as her backlog of previous releases! 

When Sheila's not busy stabbing beloved side characters and dreaming up new ways to make her readers cry, you can find her browsing the shelves at local indie bookstores, drinking fancy cocktails with friends, or curled up reading books and tarot. She lives outside Philadelphia with a small army of underwatered houseplants that survive out of spite. Go get your preorders in, and spread the word… your new favorite read has entered the chat!

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: Discontinued Crescent City Necklace

Liz is wearing : Besties and the Books Cropped Hoodie from our Crow Merch Line | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Support the show

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever had something bookish AND embarrassing happen to you? We’re not shy… and apparently we don’t embarrass easily (shocking 😂)… so we’re here today to share other people’s mortifying book stories! But don’t you worry, we make sure to include a little tidbit or two about ourselves. So sit back, relax, and get ready to laugh at a spoiler free, homework free episode! 

We bring you librarian faux pas, the classic Bluetooth Smut Connection™, a Fourth Wing shower encounter, discovery of spicy fanfic of an “unconventional” nature, and something about “Lord of the Kings?” There’s awkward customer service interactions, miscommunications left and right, and a romance about… Bandaids?

Liz read, and FINISHED the wrong book in a series, all the while thinking to herself: “Who are these people? Why don’t I know what’s going on? Oh well, it’s fine.” Childhood Ashley fibbed a bit about reading over her grade level because that equine novel was just THAT good, and almost got caught. And of course, if you’re an OG here you remember that time we covered a childhood classic but didn’t realize we read two different books until filming day. 

Please send in any and all bookish stories that still haunt you to this day, so that we can share them and help clear the air. We’re all in this toilet together, so it may as well stay cringey. Oh, and we didn’t forget an embarrassing smash or pass! 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ\

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: K Pop Demon Hunters Derpy Shirt from @etsy | * go.magik.ly/ml/3z4y6

Liz is Wearing:”I’m a Hoa Hoa Hoa” Crop Twilight Tee from @shadowboundspines | https://shadowboundspines.com/search?q=hoa&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Support the show

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail

Well...we finished Iron Gold. This is the part in the show notes where we typically include a quippy little one liner from one of our most favorite Red Rising characters or moments. And whoever gets the inside joke, gets it. Then we laugh (😂😂), or throw up the rock n’ roll hands (🤘🤘) and get excited to be a Howler (🐺🐺). We hate to break it to you, but we fear those days are over for now…

It’s ten years after the epic ending of Morning Star when Iron Gold begins. Everyone is older and wiser, and the consequences of dismantling a centuries-old genetically engineered hierarchy are hitting hard. For the first time in the Red Rising Universe, we get a multi-POV from the perspectives of a high-ranking member of the new Republic, an orphaned heir to a powerful house, a Red living in a refugee camp, and an outlaw and prior member of the Sons. How has this war changed everyone’s lives? 

We kicked off Sci-Fi Summer with a full-length episode introducing the genre and setting the scene for a closer analysis of science fiction. Next, we covered the original trilogy in detail and have officially rated every book a resounding five stars. This series is indeed “God tier,” but that just means everything hits harder, the blows do more damage, and the tears are many. We have to be honest, at this point Brown has us living in fear. 

Today we’re diving into book four: Iron Gold, the beginning of the second major plot arc. What happens when the old systems are torn down? Is revolution really as black and white as we thought? How are those from all different walks of life affected by the actions of a powerful few? And is the potential gain worth all the tragic loss? We can only examine the implications of real or imagined technology and science on society thoroughly, critically, and responsibly through an intersectional lens. Is Pierce Brown doing this responsibly while also keeping us entertained? 

We bring you our spoiler free reviews, “Five Sentence Summary” and all our faves and least faves, but also discuss sci-fi themes, differences and similarities to fantasy, the romance, genre miscategorization, lore and fun facts, quotes, character growth and relatability, and most importantly… themes. And lastly, we’ll be asking ourselves if it was necessary to bring us back to Darrow’s story, and if this series would have been better if it ended at book three. 

Next week we’ll continue our coverage with Dark Age, so we’re getting our Cryometers™ out now. You should too. 

Red Rising Character Art mentioned: @redmurphy.art on IG

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: Discontinued Crescent City Necklace 

Liz is wearing: A Fireheart Hoodie by @lionheartthreads | Code: VEGAN15 | https://www.etsy.com/shop/LionheartThreads

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Support the show

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail

Today we have a very special spoiler free author interview episode for you with young adult Romantasy author Autumn Krause! Autumn is the author of four novels (so far): A Dress for the Wicked, Before the Devil Knows You’re Here, Grave Flowers, and coming soon…her very timely and extremely important fourth novel The Gods Will Sing Our Song. Out everywhere (including Audible!) on September 1st, The Gods Will Sing Our Song is a magical and tragic story inspired by her own family’s experiences in the World War 2 Japanese American Incarceration camps.

We met the lovely and beautiful Autumn at Romantasycon LA where we had the privilege of interviewing her for the Gothica panel, chatting all things horror, dark fantasy, and gothic themes and just knew she was an instant bestie with a big message we can’t wait to discuss with her, and share with you all today! 

This episode is here for us to get to know Autumn better and to find out what you’ll be getting into when you pick up her new book The Gods Will Sing Our Song… which every single one of you needs to go pre-order immediately! We also talk in depth about what inspired her to write this book, and why conversations about the darkest parts of our history are still SO incredibly important to keep having. We’ll also briefly discuss her previous releases so you guys know what to expect if you decide to deep dive into the backlog before we do OUR deep dive coverage of The Gods Will Sing Our Song, coming soon! 

Autumn Krause is a writer, young adult author, a gothic romantic at heart and loves spinning stories full of macabre magic. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where her morbid imagination ran rampant—so much so that her parents became concerned and told her to stop writing stories where everyone dies at the end. Most often, she can be found in Orange County, California, wearing a black lace dress while spending time with her husband and three children. Other times, she can be found out with lanterns in the tradition of Emily Dickinson, searching for herself and stories.

Recently an offering editor at auction described The Gods Will Sing Our Song as a book that changes the way we look at the world. They said that “Books like these have the power to break our hearts and remake them. They open our eyes to injustice and bring a sense of catharsis to those who’ve encountered its sharp edge. They shout to be seen and heard and remembered - just as we must remember those who came before us, whose joys and scars go on to guide our own life stories. In my opinion, The Gods Will Sing Our Song is exactly such a book.”

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Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B

____

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Ashley is wearing: a Twilight Vintage style t-shirt from LambComedy | *  https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT9JWeP68q2yk-I0EzA/ 

Liz is Wearing our Besties and the books beanie: https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

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“Finish the bucket, or get the box!” 

At this point most of you are fully aware of what you’re getting into with this series, so let us officially induct you into our den of Howlers. Just remember two things: “Omnis Vir Lupus 🐺🤘,” and “sh*t escalates.” Because there ain’t nothin’ Pierce Brown has written thus far to indicate that the next four books will bring us anything other than chaos and pain, yet here we stay. Wolf cloaks on, loyal until the end.

We kicked off Sci-Fi Summer with a full-length episode introducing the genre and setting the scene for a closer analysis of science fiction. We discuss who has historically defined and dominated the genre, its subsequent evolution, and how our newest deep dive obsession, the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown fits into it all. Next, we covered books one and two in detail and have officially concluded that this series is indeed, everything you all told us it would be…and MORE. The twists, the turns, the betrayal, the action, the political subterfuge (and everything else!) have fully consumed us and quite frankly, we’re terrified to see what lies in wait. 

Today we’re diving into book three: Morning Star, the official conclusion to the original trilogy. The rebel alliance is growing with the resurrection of the Red’s “messiah” and we find out who truly wants The Society destroyed, and who will fight to the death to maintain it. With big changes and transfers of power who will step in to create order from chaos? And will it be possible to do so in a way that honors revolution and freedom? We can only examine the implications of real or imagined technology and science on society thoroughly, critically, and responsibly through an intersectional lens. Is Pierce Brown doing this responsibly while also keeping us entertained? 

We bring you our spoiler free reviews, “Five Sentence Summary” and all our faves and least faves, but also discuss sci-fi themes, differences and similarities to fantasy, the romance, genre miscategorization, lore and fun facts, quotes, character growth and relatability, and most importantly… themes. All of our characters are constantly evolving and now we’re prepared to look ten years ahead to what they’ve created through all of this destruction… Was it worth it? 

Next week we’ll begin our coverage of the second plot arc which commences ten years after the conclusion of Morning Star with book four: Iron Gold. And something tells us that even though we feel ready, we’re nowhere near prepared. 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing:  “Read Books Stay Weird” Tee by @Shopwildeshadows | https://www.wildeshadows.com 

 Liz is wearing: Feminine Rage Crewneck by @darkanddisturbedshop | Code: VEGAN10 | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/rage-crewneck?_pos=2&_sid=e99454f0a&_ss=r

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Support the show

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
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Liz 
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@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
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@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail

Time to deep dive CJ Leede's newest horror book, Headlights!
You want horror, we gave you horror. You want horror, give you horror. Ask for horror, you got horror! You asked for horror, you got it! We’re even! We’re even, besties! We don’t know what more you want from us! (IYKYK! 😜🍪)

Here’s the thing… you said you wanted us to cover more spooky books, so we present to you our first foray into the horror genre - don’t say we never warned you. We know that we’re a “summerween” fam over here, so we hope to set the tone for the rest of the season as we make our way through sci-fi summer and officially into spooky season with the perfect segue. Today we’re doing our official deep dive follow up episode to our interview with C.J. Leede, our most favorite horror author and the insanely talented mind behind Maeve Fly, American Rapture, and now, Headlights. 

Buckle up for a wild ride because Headlights has everything. Cannibalism (not accidental), cryptids, ecoterrorism, Colorado lore, skin suits, different dimensions, paranormal entities, cults, and lots and lots of good old fashioned trauma. It has a love story expertly woven into a true crime-esque detective whodunit serial killer hunt through the classic Colorado landscape à la The Shining, with a spooky John Denver soundtrack (highly recommend playing his greatest hits while you read this book). So we humbly ask… what more could you possibly want out of a story that’s meant to shock you, terrify you, and get you thinking about some scary topics that otherwise may never cross your radar?

We cover all the classics like our spoiler free star and spice ratings, the “Five Sentence Summary™,” likes and dislikes, reviews, audiobook quality, and horror themes, with some added incite into what about it scares us, how C.J. Leede uses specific literary devices to achieve that kind of tension, and how horror is often used to critique real world problems. 

All this and a fave and fail indie bookstore shoutout edition, and a spooky cryptid style smash or pass! 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

• Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 

https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

CJ Leede talks all things Horror! | https://youtu.be/jb0DW2ap3Ds?si=0mDOcOfQuBrTPp0l

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: A custom Impressive Wingspan tshirt from @DownTheBondofficial | Use Code: BestiesandtheBooks for 15% | https://www.downthebond.com=

Liz is wearing: An Estes Park Sweater she picked up on a trip to Colorado.

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Support the show

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix