Howling Dark: Much More SufferableDescription

Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio | Sun Eater, Book 2 | Sci-Fi

Rich showed up sunburnt, drinking the Kool-Aid, and claiming he got bullied out of a 9....... Ryan stands on business. A year after the boys shrugged off Empire of Silence, the internet finally wore them down, and Howling Dark delivered. The first 15-ish minutes stay spoiler-free with scores and verdict up front, so you can sample before committing.

Then it's Cielcen psychology: a species with no concept of peace, only domination and submission, a real problem when your entire 50-year mission is diplomacy.

The boys take the controversy head-on too is Ruocchio selling a bigoted POV, or writing the galaxy's most obvious hypocrite? Fan casting hands Switch to Cameron Monaghan unopposed. And Ryan plants his flag: this should have been book one. 🌑

Worldbuilding/Lore: 8

Characters: Rich 8 / Ryan 7

Storyline: Rich 8 / Ryan 7

Overall: 7.7 out of 10
Verdict: Buy

Book: Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio
Series: Sun Eater, Book 2
Score: Worldbuilding/Lore 8 / Characters Rich 8, Ryan 7 / Storyline Rich 8, Ryan 7 — Overall 7.5 out of 10 (Rich 7.7 / Ryan 7.3)
Verdict: Buy

• [01:33] — Intro + episode framing (spoiler-free): why the boys came back to Sun Eater a year after Empire of Silence
• [06:49] — Content note: the online controversy around the book's language, and how the boys are approaching it
• [09:42] — Scores + verdict up front (Rich 7.7 / Ryan 7.3) + vibe check: objective vs subjective, Rich starved for good sci-fi
• [13:37] — Ryan's hot take: Howling Dark should be book one — Star Wars started at Episode IV
• [18:15] — 🚨 Spoiler warning — spoilers start
• [18:44] — Worldbuilding & Lore (8): the man-machine spectrum from Valka's chip to the Exalted, Cielcen psychology and the doomed negotiations, the Hadrian-the-hypocrite conversation, and the William/"Big Dick Bill" naming debate
• [38:46] — Characters (Rich 8 / Ryan 7): Hadrian "much more sufferable," the Switch betrayal and Rich's Godfather 2 rewrite, Kharn Sagara, Prince Aranata, Bassander Lin
• [55:08] — Story (Rich 8 / Ryan 7): the prose ("okay, it's white"), Ryan's mid-book slump, and death-and-rebirth theories — why did the arms swap?
• [1:04:05] — Fan casting: Chalamet vs Corenswet for Hadrian, Valka callbacks pending, and congrats Cameron Monaghan
• [1:09:47] — One-star reviews ("200 pages too long," Stockholm Syndrome)
• [1:17:27] — Wrap-up: both boys are in for book three

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Wax and Wayne's story comes to an end — and Rich and Ryan are finally, officially, all the way through Mistborn. On this episode, the guys dig into Brandon Sanderson's The Lost Metal, the fourth and final book in the Wax and Wayne era.

Inside: a new Shard, autonomy, throwing its weight around Scadrial. Wayne finally gets his moment in the spotlight (turns out he's been secretly loaded this whole time). Marasi steps fully into her own. And Rich has some thoughts about whether this book earns its Cosmere ambitions or gets buried under its own bomb plot.

Score: 7.3/10 — Buy

First 10-15 minutes: spoiler-free. Big fat spoiler warning after that, then a full deep dive into Worldbuilding/Lore, Characters, and Story.
Stick around for the one-star review reactions and a Cosmere Corner theory session that gets... contentious.

Whether this is your first Mistborn book or your victory lap finishing the whole series — welcome. Grab your metals and settle in.

New episodes every 2 weeks. Subscribe, drop a comment, and find us on TikTok/IG @HotTakeBooks. Questions, hate mail, or theories we got wrong? [email protected]

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson | Mistborn Era 2, Book 3 | Epic Fantasy

First 15 minutes stay spoiler-free for anyone still deciding — after that, the whole book's on the table (which includes the rest of these notes).

Give Steris prep time and she'll out-plan a Shard. The boys crown her the Adolin of Scadrial: she carries Wax through a wedding he hates, vomits on cue to buy a distraction, and clocks that all he really needs is someone to sit with him. Rich calls the arranged-marriage-into-love arc some of the best writing in the series, love as actual work, not fairy-tale luck.

Then it gets loud. Ryan fights to drag Rich's Worldbuilding 8 down to a 7. They pick at the hand-wavy stuff: how do the airships even fly, what are the Bands actually doing, is the whole southern continent a retcon.......? Regardless, The Bands of Mourning is the Cosmere coming home.

Worldbuilding/Lore: Rich 8 / Ryan 6

Characters: 8

Story: 8

Overall: 7.7 out of 10

Verdict: Buy

Episode Type: SpoilerTake
Book: The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
Series: Mistborn Era 2 (Wax and Wayne), Book 3 — part of the Cosmere
Score: Worldbuilding/Lore Rich 8 / Ryan 6 — Characters 8 — Story 8 — Overall 7.7 out of 10
Verdict: Buy

• [00:24] — Cold open: the two "fights" this week, the 50/50 partnership, and Rich getting talked into a Cosmere-out marathon for Ryan the addict
• [~04:16] — Intro + framing: Bands of Mourning, Mistborn Era 2, Book 3 — short, fun, western/detective energy
• [04:52] — Spoiler-free vibe check (first 15 min): should you read it? The Cosmere is back
• [09:08] — 🚨 Spoiler warning — deep dive begins
• [09:34] — Scoring format recap (Worldbuilding, Characters, Story)
• [10:01] — Worldbuilding & Lore (Rich 8 / Ryan 6): the Malwish "retcon," hand-wavy Bands, airships, and allomantic grenades; the live score-change standoff
• [~28:33] — Characters (8): Steris the Adolin of Scadrial, Marasi's growth, Wax & Steris, Wayne + MeLaan, Wayne's goodbye
• [41:00] — Story (8): the Cosmere course-correct, the new city + political tension, the Telson switcheroo, the sister as the real mastermind
• [~51:50] — One-star reviews (the "racist against a race that doesn't exist" take + the reader "vindicated" that Kelsier faked his death)
• [58:36] — 🚨 Cosmere Corner warning (spoilers for Stormlight + Mistborn Era 1 + Warbreaker)
• [59:06] — Cosmere Corner: where Secret History slots in, Kelsier = Thaidakar / Ghost Bloods, Hoid's coin, "Brandon, write less," and Rich going Stormlight-thirsty
• [~1:12:57] — Wrap-up

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Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson | Mistborn Era 2, Book 2 | Epic Fantasy

The boys keep the first 15 spoiler-free for the undecided — after that, all bets are off.

Rich swears he coined "Brandy Sandy" with zero evidence and full confidence. Ryan files it as fact anyway. Shadows of Self is the lowest-rated Cosmere book the boys have ever covered. Rich's line of the night — a lot of worlds, not a lot of building. Wax discovers hemalurgy like he skipped Era 1, Harmony won't stop chatting like a guy at the bus stop, and the twist lands too late to hurt.

Wayne still walks off with the book. Rich plants his flag on Team Staris. Plus: the angriest one-star reviews on the internet, a "check the history books" moment, and a Cosmere Corner that spirals into Trell, a timeline bombshell, and Rich's Avengers comparison.

Verdict: Borrow

Episode Type: SpoilerTake
Book: Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson
Series: Mistborn Era 2 (Wax and Wayne), Book 2 — part of the Cosmere
Score: Worldbuilding/Lore (the low point, lowest of the three) / Characters 7 (Rich 7 / Ryan 7) / Storyline Rich 5 / Ryan 6
Verdict: Borrow

• [00:24] — Cold open: the "Brandy Sandy" origin debate + Rich teases a surprise new segment (Ryan is nervous)
• [~01:55] — Intro + framing: Shadows of Self, Mistborn Era 2, Book 2
• [03:35] — Spoiler-free vibe check (first 15 min): should you read it? Go straight from Alloy of Law
• [~13:00] — 🚨 Spoiler warning — deep dive begins
• [13:30] — Worldbuilding & Lore: a lot of worlds, not a lot of building; the labor unrest; Harmony too involved
• [~29:24] — Characters (Rich 7 / Ryan 7): Wayne's well scene, Marasi, Milan, Captain Aradell, Team Staris
• [~45:35] — Story (Rich 5 / Ryan 6): the late twist, the recycled "who's the Kandra?" whodunit, Bleeder's spike
• [~52:38] — One-star reviews (including the "check the history books" political read)
• [1:00:32] — "Answers on the Mic": Rich's surprise segment / the trial of Ryan
• [~1:03:46] — 🚨 Cosmere Corner warning (spoilers for Stormlight + Mistborn Era 1 + Warbreaker)
• [1:04:16] — Cosmere Corner: is Trell a Shard? the timeline bombshell, the Cosmere Avengers, hemalurgy/compounding theories
• [1:24:20] — Wrap-up

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Show NotesTimestampsLinks

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson | Mistborn Era 2, Book 1 | Fantasy | SpoilerTake

The boys keep the first 15 minutes spoiler-free for the undecided, after that, all bets are off.

Ryan swore this would be a short episode because it's a short book. It was not. Rich came in Cosmere-burnt and didn't want to read it at all .... that changed around pg 10.

Same planet, new century, completely different book. They get into Sanderson trading Era 1's epic fantasy for a gunslinging Western mystery, different, not worse, and why Twinborn is peak Cosmere. Wax gets his flowers, Wayne walks off with the book, and Miles Hundred Lives wins name of the year.

Then the compounding argument breaks out, nobody wins, and Brandon's inbox gets threatened. Lets get into it.

Worldbuilding/Lore: Rich 8 / Ryan 7
Characters: 9
Overall: 8.3 out of 10
Verdict: Buy

Episode Type: SpoilerTake
Book: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
Series: Mistborn Era 2 (Wax and Wayne), Book 1 — part of the Cosmere
Score: Worldbuilding/Lore 7–8 / Characters 9 — Overall 8.3 out of 10 (Rich 8.3 / Ryan 8.3)
Verdict: Buy

• [00:24] — Cold open: Ryan wanted a short episode because it's a short book ("you hate Mistborn")
• [01:55] — Intro + episode framing: Alloy of Law, why the wheel decided it for them
• [04:41] — Spoiler-free vibe check: 315 pages, less-is-more, Sherlock Holmes meets cowboy Western
• [09:50] — Could you start the Mistborn saga here? Rich's TV-adaptation case
• [14:45] — Burn/Borrow/Buy + score reveal: both an 8.3, verdict Buy
• [~15:20] — 🚨 Spoiler warning — deep dive begins
• [~15:25] — World building & lore: the casual jump from 10 metals to 16
• [~20:30] — Twinborn as the best addition; Wax's weight + steel-push combos
• [~26:00] — Renette's anti-misting bullets; engineering vs. magic
• [~29:00] — The compounding argument (someone email Brandon)
• [~38:00] — Characters: Wax, and getting past the trigger-shyness early
• [~40:00] — Wayne steals the book; Ryan's comic-relief problem (RIP Lopen)
• [~44:50] — Marasi's thirst, and where the Wax/Marasi/sister thing is headed
• [~47:30] — Miles Hundred Lives: the most badass name in the Cosmere
• [~52:00] — Wax vs. Miles: guessing each other's moves; "Wax... Dalinar Dalinar"
• [~55:40] — The Mr. Suit twist that was right there for the picking
• [~57:00] — Harmony's "you're welcome" save; the earring as Hemalurgy
• [58:36] — 🚨 Cosmere Corner warning (spoilers for Stormlight + Mistborn Era 1)
• [59:02] — Cosmere Corner: Lopen is Wayne's dad (100%), vessels vs. shards, aluminum blocks investiture, Mr. Suit = Ghostbloods?, need to read Warbreaker
• [1:10:47] — One-star Goodreads reviews
• [1:16:10] — Wrap-up: second-highest-rated Mistborn and Cosmere book so far

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Show NotesTimestampsLinks

Cold Wind by Andrew Givler is out — and Hot Take Books has thoughts. A lot of them.

In this episode, Rich and Ryan dive deep into book two of the Ironbound series, just days after its release. Castor is back, the stakes are higher, and the world has gotten a whole lot bigger. The guys break down what makes Cold Wind one of their highest-rated books to date — and why this series still isn't getting the attention it deserves.

The spoiler-free section covers everything you need to know to decide if this is the series for you: the revenge-fantasy genre comp (think Red Rising meets Rage of Dragons), the magic system that might just be Rich's favorite ever, and why if you loved Ironbound, you need to keep going.

Then the spoiler warning drops, and nothing is safe. Rich and Ryan dig into the expanding lore of core and congruency, the political backstabbing of the empire, Castor's evolving identity as the symbols wage war in his head, and the characters they couldn't get enough of — and the ones they wanted a lot more of. They also get into what this book means for the series as a whole, and why books three and four might be capable of a score they can barely bring themselves to say out loud.

If you haven't read Ironbound yet, start there — we've got you covered with our full episode on book one. And if you're already a fan of the series, buckle up. This one's going to be a lot of fun.Hot Take Books drops every two weeks. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @HotTakeBooks.

Cold Wind by Andrew Givler | Ironbound, Book 2 | Fantasy | FastTake

Picture this: you're on the treadmill, just walking, minding your business — then chapter 10 cranks the speed and suddenly the whole gym is watching. That's Cold Wind. Rich is at 50% and already comparing Andrew Givler to Sanderson. Ryan's finished, loaded with theories, and currently on trial for sending cover art that — and we quote — "you can infer things from." It's been a week. Book 2 of Ironbound dropped today and the boys recorded this the moment they could: no notes, no outline, vibes only, and court-ordered spoiler restrictions for at least one of them. The magic system from Book 1? Kiddie pool. Cold Wind expands drastically on those fundamentals and the main character is giving full Darrow vibes. No scores yet — Rich hasn't even finished — but Ryan is already throwing out some BIG numbers. Full SpoilerTake drops Sunday. Read the book first. 📖

Episode Type: FastTake (Riff Session)

Book: Cold Wind by Andrew Givler

Series: Ironbound, Book 2

• [00:00] — Cold open: Ryan on trial for spoiler tendencies
• [02:07] — Intro + episode framing (day-of-release riff session, no spoilers)
• [02:53] — Who should read this book
• [09:09] — Magic system expansion + main character catching Darrow vibes
• [13:05] — How firm is the magic system?
• [18:36] — Hype, theories, and excitement for the full SpoilerTake
• [19:29] — Wrap-up

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Rich and Ryan are back with a book that might just scratch that Red Rising itch — Andrew Givler's Ironbound. Set in a Roman-inspired world where mythical metals bind warriors to elemental symbols, this progression fantasy follows Castor, a young man whose world gets ripped apart before he ever gets a chance to fight for it.

The guys break down why this book is really three stories in one — a coming-of-age tale, a training montage, and a full-blown war story— and whether that structure works in its favor or costs it in the end. Expect a deep dive on the hard vs. soft magic system debate, character development that is top tier, and a disagreement about whether the ending sticks the landing.

Plus: three 1-star reviews that range from head-scratching to genuinely unhinged, a bold sequel announcement, and the ring light saga that delayed the episode by five minutes.

HTB Score: 8.3 — BUY 🛒

Spoiler-free for the first 15 minutes. Spoilers begin after the warning.

Spoiler wall's up — you've been warned.

Hot Take Movies is officially a thing, and the boys are kicking it off with their Book of 2025 now on the big screen. Rich gives Ryan Gosling high marks for the Stratt scene but draws a line between playing Rylan Grace and playing Ryan Gosling-as-Rylan-Grace. Ryan counters by handing out a 10 for cinematography and refusing to apologize for it. They get into what the movie nailed — Rocky's ship, Carl (not in the book, very much a win), the Grace-Rocky dynamic — and what got shortchanged: the slow-burn amnesia opening that makes the book impossible to put down, reduced to the first 60 seconds. Two one-star reviewers also make an appearance and suggest that science fiction should obey the actual laws of science.

Rich 8.6 / Ryan 9.0 / Overall 8.8 out of 10. The verdict: go see the movie. Go read the book. Both. This weekend.

Episode Type: Hot Take Movies (Riff Series — bonus episode)

Movie: Project Hail Mary (2026)

Based on: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Directed by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Written by: Drew Goddard and Andy Weir

Starring: Ryan Gosling, James Ortiz (Rocky)

IMDb: 8.4 / Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Score: Rich 8.6 / Ryan 9.0 / Overall 8.8 out of 10

• [00:24] — Intro: Hot Take Movies debut, Riff Series launch
• [00:53] — Why this episode is free (hint: they're all free)
• [01:38] — Project Hail Mary as Book of 2025, Hotties ceremony recap
• [02:10] — Rich's case for teaching PHM in schools
• [04:05] — Spoiler warning + movie meta stats
• [06:40] — Book vs. movie: what each format does better
• [07:18] — Rocky/Grace relationship on screen
• [08:01] — Visualizing Rocky's ship: where the movie wins
• [10:49] — What the book does better: Rylan Grace's internal monologue
• [11:31] — Carl: the character invented for the movie (and why it works)
• [12:41] — The amnesia opening: book vs. movie
• [15:51] — Ryan Gosling vs. Rylan Grace: too pretty for the role?
• [16:51] — The Stratt scene: Gosling nails it
• [19:35] — Ratings: Cinematography, Acting, Writing
• [24:27] — Final scores: Rich 8.6 / Ryan 9.0 / Overall 8.8
• [24:49] — One-star reviews
• [28:24] — Closing: read the book, see the movie, Ray Porter cameo wish

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Celaena Sardothien is supposed to be the most feared assassin in the world. So why does it feel like the tournament, the romance, and the royal drama are all happening around her while she watches from the sidelines?

Rich and Ryan dive into Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass — the BookTok darling that gets compared to everything from Red Rising to Fourth Wing. Spoiler: it's neither of those things. And honestly? That's okay. Mostly.

They break down the worldbuilding (a glass castle with no explanation for the glass), the characters (Team Chaol vs. Team Dorian), and a story that works better as a palette cleanser than a fantasy epic. Plus: a one-star review from someone who skipped 150 pages and still has opinions.

The verdict? A 5.0 — BORROW. Try it before you buy the full seven-book series.

Spoiler-free section: first ~15 minutesFull spoilers: everything after the warning

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