In this extra special book club episode, we chat with author Helene Wecker about her book, The Golem and the Jinni. From historical immersion in 1899 New York to the complexity of a magic system built on belief to characters trapped both physically and mentally, this story has much to discuss. Helene shares many behind-the-scenes aspects of the book and larger trilogy along with amusing anecdotes. You'll laugh and learn a few new things in this episode!

Channel Chava and grab your favorite pastry, a beautiful tin cup, and join us for this fun discussion.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

The complete trilogy:

The Golem and the Jinni

The Hidden Palace

The Gates of Midnight

Helene's website for future updates: https://www.helenewecker.com/

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Co-Host: Marianne Boules

— 

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

Who doesn't love a book with gods and goddesses? These immortal, powerful being create perfect drama and stories that leave us appreciating our humanity. From Greek mythology retellings to invented mythologies in secondary worlds, there's a book with gods for everyone. In this special episode, authors A.J. Peterson and Rebecca Brodkey join to chat about their love of gods and offer recommendations for your next read.

Pour a cup of something powerful and settle in for this episode (toga optional).

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Guests:

A.J. Peterson, https://www.ajpeterson.com/

Rebecca Brodkey, https://www.rebeccabrodkey.com/

— 

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

For this month's book club, we dive into the highly acclaimed novel Circe by Madeline Miller. It's arguably one of the *best* mythology retellings and a masterclass in beautiful characters, prose, and storytelling. We had so much fun chatting about this iconic witch, and it's perfect timing with the new Odyssey movie hitting theaters.

Light a candle, steep some herbs, and join us in the realm of the gods.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Co-Host: A. J. Peterson, https://www.ajpeterson.com/

— 

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

For when you'd be anywhere but reality, high fantasy books provide a perfect escape. With other worlds, beings, even types of physics, high fantasy offers ultimate escapism. In this episode, we're joined by high fantasy reader and author, A. J. Peterson, to chat about the best high fantasy novels out there.

If you've been in a reading slump or just want an escape from reality, this is the episode for you!

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.Credits:Host: Demi Utley,⁠ ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠⁠Co-Host: Marianne Boules

Special Guest: A.J. Peterson, Author & EditorFind her at: https://www.ajpeterson.com/https://ajpeterson.substack.com/https://www.instagram.com/dreamscape.editing/Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

This month's book is the Hugo award-winning The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. We dive into the themes, the characters, the unique writing style and more. There's a reason this book won the award--it's complex with many elements to discuss. We could spend hours chatting about it and not touch on every topic.

What are your thoughts on this book?

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Co-Host: Marianne Boules

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

From gold-loving villains to soulmate level partners, dragons have filled many roles in fantasy. But they don't exist solely in the pages of a fantasy novel. Dragons have been part of human culture for centuries, across continents. In this episode, we touch on the representation of dragons throughout history, their portrayal in our favorite books, and attempt to answer the question: could dragons have been real?

Grab a pint, pull up a chair, and settle in for this episode.

Let us know in the comments: what are your favorite dragon books?!

As always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Co-Host: Marianne Boules

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

In this book club episode, we discuss the light academia novel A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. This novel raised themes of imperialism, classism, intellectualism, and feminism, which we dive into (and more!) in our discussion. And, of course, we talk about the dragons. 

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Co-Host: Marianne Boules

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

One of our favorite fantasy subgenres is historical fantasy. The best books immerse you in an entirely different time period, have magic, and often leave you with a bit more knowledge than you started. It's a fun way to uncover new aspects of history to explore while also having all of the things that make fantasy so enjoyable.

In this episode, we share our favorite historical fantasy novels based on geography and time period. If you're looking for a specific historical vibe, this is for you!

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Co-Host: Marianne Boules

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

This month's book club turns cozy in 1920s Montreal with the coziest of companions--cats.

In this episode, we discuss Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett, sharing our (maybe controversial) opinions on cats, the unique magic, Montreal, and more.

Pour a cup of tea, snuggle up with your favorite feline, and listen in.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Co-Host: Marianne Boules

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg 

While YA fantasy was popular for a period, once you’re in your thirties or older, you want characters and topics that don’t revolve around a high school or first love. Fortunately, this is where fantasy gets fun!

In this episode, we share our favorite adult fantasy books—those with complex themes, with characters who have bad knees and early bedtimes, world with magic and powers that we want to escape to.

It’s perfect if you’ve been feeling a bit uninspired and want to add more magic.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.

Prefer email? Sign up at moremagicpodcast.com to receive emails when new episodes release, updates on new projects, and special subscriber-only magic.

Credits:

Host: Demi Utley, ⁠https://demiutley.substack.com/⁠

Co-Host: Marianne Boules

Audio Production - Gregory Mikels

Additional credits for the music used during the intro and outro:

• Remix Composition & Production - Gregory Mikels

• Danse Sacrée composed by Claude Debussy 

• Public Domain

• Performed by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra with Major Jason K. Fettig, conducting, MSgt Karen Grimsey, harp soloist on Aug. 14, 2010, at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

• The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns 

• License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en 

• Performers

• Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan

• Orchestra: Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol.

• Recorded 1980

Original music links:

• https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danse_Sacr%C3%A9e.ogg 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-_The_Carnival_of_the_Animals.ogg