Have you ever heard the expression "don't meet your heroes"? Well, it's complete nonsense. We had the absolute honor of having Ryan join us for a conversation and can confirm that he is just an incredible dude. 

We hope you enjoy our wide-ranging discussion, navigating life's big questions like what it's like to write as a new parent, how art can create community, and whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich (spoiler: it's not). 

Please tune in for the rest of our coverage of The Bound and the Broken and write in with any comments at [email protected], or find us on Reddit/Discord @booktwoisbetter! 

Ch. 36-End. This is the ultimate jam-packed finale to a great book. Calen reunites with Valerys and meets the new best character in the series, Captain Kinky. Rist gets naked in front of some old dudes to become a battlemage -- trust me, it works. Dahlen and a hot Italian lady assassin attempt the world's worst spy plan. Everybody's cooking in this one. 

After some starhawk, druid, and Urak lore, the threads of the story unite in one massive battle between the Lorian empire, an Urak army, and a teenager with purple Super Saiyan eyes. Kallinvar finally comes out of his cave to help defeat evil, and we finally find out whether dead siblings are ever actually dead. 

Stay tuned for a very special next episode, and then continue the journey with us through the Bound and the Broken this month! Send us a note at [email protected] or on Reddit/Discord @booktwoisbetter with any feedback or suggestions. 

ODAL Ch. 19-35. 

"It is the stag who waits to drink last. That avoids the waiting wolf." These wise words from Alleron's mother frame an impeccable section of comfort fantasy filled with dragon fire, fake uncles, racism against elves, and our favorite character, ERDHARDT HAMMERSMITH. 

Will Calen escape his torturous prison? Is the Druid book that Rist is reading important? Why did we not see Farda's jokes on screen? Who are these shapeshifter furries? Read on with us to find out the answers to all these questions and more. 

Reach out with any comments or suggestions at [email protected] or on Reddit/Discord @booktwoisbetter! 

ODAL Chapters 1-19. 

My dragon's bigger than your dragon! Calen, despite some badass skill with the spark, is quickly outmatched at the battle of Helm's Deep. Our merry band of misfits flees on subterranean sailboats through the wind tunnels, only to find a thousand miles south after fleeing creepy stone spiders through a magic dwarven portal (this is peak fantasy, btw). 

Meanwhile, Ella is workshopping plausible fake last names, Rist is getting spanked at mage academy, and Kallinvar is still trying to figure out how to get the taint out of his rift. Oh, and we have a whole new storyline: Valtaran Wyvern Riders. Ladies, it's your time to shine! 

We're off to a hot start in Book Two. Thanks for listening, and please feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on Discord/Reddit @booktwoisbetter! 

Chapters: Whole book, it's short. 

The Fall is a novella best known as the prequel to Ryan Cahill's Of Blood and Flames and second-best known (by psychopaths) as the sequel to the exact same novel. 

We've chosen to be adherents to the Svidarya path, and hot damn is it paying off. This book is a genuine banger -- Four POVs, four tragedies, and zero farm boys preparing for a quaint harvest festival. 

We've got Auntie Alvira, a goon squad of Achyron Knights, a dragon egg rescue mission, and Eltuar, the most suggestible man in all of Epheria, who committed genocide for reasons he absolutely has not thought through. 

We can't wait to see what Cahill is cooking next. Follow along, and please send us any suggestions at [email protected]! 

Ch. 20 - End. This is a handsome book -- and even more so after a few shots of wyrm blood. 

Our new dragon papa is fighting fades, traversing tunnels, and ready to risk it all for a dwarven queen. This book is cozy fantasy, and it absolutely ROCKS. 

Send us a note as we continue our Cahill journey at [email protected] or on Reddit/Discord @booktwoisbetter! Thanks for listening! 

New series alert! We'll be spending the next few months covering The Bound and The Broken by Ryan Cahill, kicking off with the Fellensír path and Of Blood and Fire. This episode covers Chapters 1-19. 

Get ready for hot chocolate in book form, because Cahill's world of swords, dragons, chosen ones, and elemental magic is a soothing, cozy balm for our eyes. We open with three buddies in a happy little village who will undoubtedly remain there for the rest of their lives. Just kidding -- by the end of part one, we're already wanted by the empire, fighting blood demons, and hatching dragons. 

This book rips, and I hope you join us for our coverage of the full series! Please send us a note at [email protected] or on Reddit @booktwoisbetter with any thoughts, suggestions, or feedback. 

We're shaking it up and covering a book AND a movie! Amaze! 

Please join us for a fun between-seasons special of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. We're breaking down our favorite science experiments, passionately defending Carl and #1 Pokemon Rocky, and joshing around with an Astrophage load of bull-puckey. 

We'll be back soon with a brand new series, The Bound and the Broken by Ryan Cahill! In the meantime, please send us any ideas, feedback, or notes at [email protected] or on Reddit @booktwoisbetter! 

SOTF Finale: Part 3, Ch. LVIII - LXXX. Islington heard our metal triangle-shaped prayers (but not our publicity emails) and answered them with some hot hot heat for the finale of Strength of the Few! 

Vis (Wis, Human) refuses to be limited by his single POV and covers some serious ground in this section. He scales pyramids, becomes a bionic man, and decides to run for political office to represent a new electorate: ZOMBIES. 

We end the story with some serious cliffhangers. What kind of man is Ka? How long can exoskeleton legs really last? Is anyone ever truly dead in these books? We can't wait to RAFO for Book 3. 

Thanks for joining us in this journey, and please tune in for our next series coming up soon! As always, reach out at [email protected] and on Reddit @booktwoisbetter. <3 

SOTF Part 2, Ch. XXXI-LVII: Of Daddies and Danger Pulses. 

Would you rather watch Vis train dogs, perform a crocodile dance, or learn to blacksmith? Well, lucky for you, we get all three in this section. 

Vis is getting exponentially better at using Will - he can now jump the exact height of a fence! He also gets to cosplay as an assassin and a iunctus to round out his farmer and charioteer side quests from last episode. Fun fact: Vis has never killed anyone on Res! It doesn't count as murder if you make your dog do it. 

We're close to the end of the Hierarchy series, so please let us know your thoughts and if you have any recommendations for what we read next! Reach out at [email protected] or on Reddit @booktwoisbetter.