Thanks so much to George for commissioning this episode!
We're starting the companion book to Of Sea & Shadow and I'm really excited to see what the story looks like from Calder's perspective. We're starting off in a similar fashion to Shera's story, jumping back and forth in time between some key moments of Calder's childhood and present day. We're seeing him with his father, getting his initial training in breaking and entering, and I'm curious how that translates to his present circumstance.
Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you very much to George for commissioning this episode!
In these chapters, we FINISH THE BOOK! And shit ends on a helluva cliffhanger. We've got Shera working with an Awakened weapon and apparently she's Soulbound now! Meanwhile, someone gets away with the Heart, and Calder says that they're going to have to team up together.
Meia gets captured somehow (she was unconscious lol) and the cliffhanger ending is her essentially commandeering the ship for her own purposes. I love her so much.
Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with the start of Of Sea & Shadow!

Thank you to Florian for commissioning this episode!
Apologies for the sound on this, but you may hear me mention in the beginning of the ep that my computer was being a dick...and that had evidently not stopped. It recorded a whole blank sound file, and I had to rip the sound from the Crowdcast.
These are the episodes where Luffy gets involved in the fight, and Zoro reenters the ring as well, against Hachi. I hated seeing the poor CowMonster get forced to fight! I hated it!
Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Heather for commissioning this episode!
These chapters are the ones where we find out that Doctor Spears is an alien from another planet who has been here on earth for what SOUNDS like millenia, and I'm so curious what could be going on back on his home planet. Will they be sending follow-up folks if their agents don't return?
Also, there's a badass scene with Jordan that I really want to see on the big screen.
Thanks for listening!

Thank you so much to Jacob for commissioning this episode!
Here's the link for the document that Jacob thoughtfully made comparing the updated version of this section with the original. I hope that you all find it as helpful as I did! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tWAwmN8Tx7UQ85FK0d9ELafZK685leziizz14sGxJuA/edit?usp=sharing
I will let this episode speak for itself. See you soon with the final chapters!

Thank you to Joanna for commissioning this episode!
I manage to catch up on the last chapter, while deeply shipping Zoya and Nikolai and crossing my fingers that he doesn't cave to the proposed marriages. As all this is happening, he attacks her in his altered form after escaping from his bonds by picking the locks. OR DID HE????
This is when we find out that the Darkling now has a cult following that has declared him a saint. Nikolai wonders if they may have the key to purifying himself of this weird possession, and plans a trip.
Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Gabriela for commissioning this episode, and for joining me for the discussion of these two very high-drama episodes.
The previous two eps started the saga of Nami's childhood and her deal with Arlong, and these episodes wrap up her history, the fate of Bell-mére, and the ultimate double-cross. Gabriela and I discuss whether Bell-mére actually needed to die, and the big moment where Luffy hands over his hat, which apparently failed to hit me with appropriate weight. Sorry, Gabriela! D:
Thank you all so much for listening, and I will see you again soon with a new episode!

Thank you to George for commissioning this episode!
I can't believe there's only one episode left after this. It caught me by surprise! We start here with the first time (I think) that Lucan Reads Shera's blade, and it's really interesting to learn about the origin of this metal and the various levels of intention and meddling it's gone through. This is all a prelude to the Emperor's big moment on the island, where shit goes very intensely left.
Meanwhile in the present day, Lucan has to figure out where Shera is and how to get out of his cell to deliver her newly Awakened weapon. As he's struggling to get out, Meia is in the midst of enjoying a fight with a Champion, and Shera is realizing that a Handmaiden has entered the chat.
Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Heather for commissioning this episode!
So in these chapters we get to see Dr. Spears, who sucks, doing some experimenting from what is apparently a remote facility, located on perhaps a whole different continent from the test subjects themselves. He's trying to do the thing that Tretyak can apparently do with just a sip of blood; Awaken a normal, average human being.
However, there are some more exciting things afoot as Archie comes home and gets attacked. Tretyak's goons want info on Jordan, and he gives them everything to save his daughter....but then it turns out it's not his daughter that needs saving. RUN!
Thanks to all of you for listening, and I will see you again soon with a new episode!

Thank you so much to Joanna for commissioning this episode, and please accept my heartfelt apologies for not getting through the entire 6th chapter. I completely lost track of time and I will make up for it, I swear!
These chapters are really fun and interesting. There are so many wild projects that Nikolai is working on, and I love how he's using this guy Kirigin as a front for it all. I'm also delighted that Nikolai enjoys Zoya for exactly who she is and isn't captivated by some idea of her secret softness. Meanwhile, there's a whole thing happening at this factory where Nina et. al are doing recon, and she's stumbled on something clearly sinister.
Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you all again soon with a new episode!