Ready to leave the House behind and head off on an endless journey with an obnoxious prince? Wolf Tower by Tanith Lee gives us access to the thoughts of relatable, tenacious Claidi through her journal entries. She travels across the not-so-horrible-after-all Waste while ruminating on young love, the pointlessness of human rituals and her true identity. Madeleine and Grace get into just why Claidi is so appealing, and why the CLOCK is now their personal religion. Join us!

Note: this book is titled Law of the Wolf Tower outside the U.S.

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We’re traveling to Trewissick to embark on the best summer holiday of our young lives! Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper brings the battle between the forces of Arthurian good and evil to the sunny Cornwall coastline. We dive headlong into our own summer reminiscences, recalling childhood conspiracy plots and wishing we’d had some real-life Withers rogues to battle along the way. Plus, some particularly robust Pretend Food and discussion of fantasy on the fringes of a good ol’ mystery adventure. Parting words of wisdom: if you’re going to need to search a seaside cave for a grail, bring along a small child to do the dirty work for you.

This episode was a listener request - thank you, Dan, Jenny and Aileen! If you’d like to request a book for us to cover, email us at [email protected].

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Madeleine and Grace travel to Luster and encounter plenty of childhood memories along the way! Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville kicks off the Unicorn Chronicles, introducing us to friends like Lightfoot, the Dimblethum, Thomas the Tinker and the inimitable Squijum. While discussing the warm embrace of Coville’s unicorn world, we reminisce about our bizarre childhood writing and harken back to Madeleine’s opus, “The Adventures of Stupid Turtle.”

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Queen of Attolia has it all - back and forth kidnapping, multi-kingdom wars, spies, queasy love stories, and that scamp Eugenides continuing to fool us all. We’re continuing our exploration of the The Queen’s Thief series by Meghan Whalen Turner, and while we have a few issues with a romance that begins with amputation, we’re dazzled by Turner’s tricky plot filled with winking secrets. Listen in and experience Madeleine railing against the gods, Grace wondering at fantasy nihilism, and both sisters engaging in some illness-fueled squabbling. It’s the Dragon Babies way!

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We’ve arrived at our most scandalous episode to date, and it all starts with the saucy paperback cover featuring a shirtless Sandy and Dennys under a soft-eyed angel. Yes, we’re diving into Many Waters, by Madeleine L’Engle, and we’re rushing to get out of dodge before the flood while also wondering whether the Oasis deserves all this apocalyptic punishment in the first place! Madeleine and Grace take uncharacteristically opposing stances on this one, and debate the merits of a YA retelling of a biblical doozy. Tiny mammoths abound and things get sandy. You’re welcome to try to approach a unicorn, but first we’ll need to know - do you have your driver’s license? Whether you’re a fan of the Deux Ex Manticore or not, we think there’s plenty to explore in this trippy journey back in time.

NOTE - While still technically clean, this episode features discussion of sexual content present in the book and may not be suitable for young listeners.

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We revisited Beauty, by Robin McKinley, and were left asking the same question this centuries-old fairy tale always inspires: is this relationship… okay? You can probably guess our answer, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out our journey into McKinley’s gorgeous, gothic fantasy story. We follow Beauty as she learns to love herself (inside and out) and appreciate a more melancholy, thoughtful Beast. Join us!

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is a special Halloween mini episode about our favorite animated miniseries, Over the Garden Wall! We explore the children’s fantasy literature and fairy tales that influenced the series, as well as our own nostalgic twinges inspired by the Unknown.

Thanks so much for the special episode idea, Amy! If you have a request of your own, get in touch at [email protected].

We discuss a TON of pieces of animated ephemera in this episode - you can find links to all on our website, dragonbabiespodcast.com!

Music from https://filmmusic.io - "Sonatina in C Minor" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) - License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Are you searching for the Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood? Are you a knight who may or may not also be a fox? Do you get tired of all the grain growing in your hair? We’ve got the perfect episode to ease your troubles and end the ceaseless winter. Meredith Ann Pierce’s dreamy coming-of-age fairy tale has something for the Hannah in all of us. Listeners will also enjoy learning the unorthodox way in which Grace managed to convince her cat to come home last week. Grab your badger & magpie friends and listen in!

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We're headed back to Damar with The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley! Grace and Madeleine investigate the treatment of colonialism in a fantasy world, and wish they had their very own giant cats to keep them company during naps and battles alike. Join us in investigating the connections between Aerin and Harry, talking about when anger is a positive force, and wishing for more Luthe. Also: please begin throwing small cakes at your wedding guests.

This episode was a listener(s) request - thanks, Terkkila and asperajd! If you'd like to make a request, get in touch at dragonbabiespodcast.com.

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Madeleine and Grace have officially been Chosen and are heading to the Collegium! Hop on your companion and join us in discussing Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey. We revel in the warmth of the community and beauty of small moments, and admire Lackey’s courage in writing a loving story about a bunch of absolute sweeties (with just a few mid-book bullies). We also unpack the book’s compelling discussion of processing trauma and turning empathy into magic. Are you an exhausted introverted empath like us? Then you’ve found your home.

Plus: our favorite magical schools. Sympathetic saviors. Eating horse food at way stations. Join us!

This book was a listener request - thanks, Jenny! If you'd like to submit a request, email us at [email protected]

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/