In which the big question is, who is this scared Merlin and what happened to his assurance? Preeti and Jenn debate authorial intent vs. impact, possible theories, the Saxon perspective, and also wow what a banger of a section.

Next episode: Book IV, The Red Dragon: Sections 1-5

The Shieldwall Song (via Holly B): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5uKIgSRVlg

Get more of Brett Parnell's music at bearinabarnnyc.com

More from Heeral Chhibber at heeral.org

Get merch: tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In which Preeti and Jenn spend an hour talking about 35 pages of text, because that's how they roll. Unreliable narrators, historical timelines, Parks and Rec comparisons, the works! But hey, at least it was only one recording session.

Next section: Book III: The Wolf, Sections 7-12 inclusive

Get more of Brett Parnell's music at bearinabarnnyc.com

More from Heeral Chhibber at heeral.org

Get merch: tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready, y'all! Three recording sessions later, Preeti and Jenn dive THE DEEPEST into The Falcon. Join them for parallel characters, big revelations, druids, and all the ugh to Uther.

Next section: Book III: The Wolf, Sections 1-6 inclusive

Dhonielle Clayton's The Belles

British officers and batmen/servants trope (Frodo & Sam): https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/1iuuez9/is_frodo_and_sams_master_and_servant_relationship/

Malka Older's Mossa and Pleiti series

Get more of Brett Parnell's music at bearinabarnnyc.com

More from Heeral Chhibber at heeral.org

Get merch: tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this extra-long episode, Preeti and Jenn dig into the language, atmosphere, and voice of The Crystal Cage: Prologue - Book I: The Dove. (We will fight you for baby Merlin!!!!!)

Hild and Menewood, Nicola Griffith

The story of Dinas Emrys and the two dragons

(Help Jenn find the audio cassette she used to listen to! The opening lines included something like 'Storm clouds marched along the sky. Rain beat against the gray castle walls. Inside, a young boy woke.' It had a male narrator.)

Next section: Book II: The Falcon

Get more of Brett Parnell's music at bearinabarnnyc.com

More from Heeral Chhibber at heeral.org

Get merch: tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As they prepare to dive into their next reread, Preeti and Jenn talk about Mary Stewart as a writer, their personal history with her Arthurian Saga, and what they're expecting, excited for, and nervous about.

Next episode: Prologue - Book 1: The Dove

Nicola Griffith, Hild / Menewood

Get more of Brett Parnell's music at bearinabarnnyc.com

More from Heeral Chhibber at heeral.org

Get merch: tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preeti and Jenn recorded live with Patrons for a special retrospective, WoT readalikes, and Q&A!

Read-Alikes:

Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu

Between Earth and Sky series by Rebecca Roanhorse

Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin (and then everything else)

The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey

Dead Djinn Universe series by P. Djeli Clark

Beverly Jenkins, Vivid (for Romanda)

The Kushiel series (incl the Joscelin book) by Jacqueline Carey

The Thief / Megan Whalen Turner 

The Emily Wilde trilogy 

Babel by RF Kuang 

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel 

anything Kit Rocha (Jenn loves Mercenary Librarians)

It’s Not Me, It’s You by Stephanie Kate Strohm 

THE FLOATING WORLD by Axie Oh

Diviners by Libba Bray

Circe by Madeline Miller

Hild / Menewood by Nicola Griffith

Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot is out now!

Merch:

tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com [new designs available!]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A very special bonus episode! Jenn and musician Bryan Dunn reunite to nerd out over music in fantasy adaptations, from The Hills of Tanchico and Sing of Manetheren to songs from the Witcher, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings; Bryan has two very excellent theories, involving Beyoncé and Ishamael respectively; and Jenn learns a bunch of things about vowel sounds.

Nikhil Koparkar - Reddit AMA about The Hills of Tanchico (https://www.reddit.com/r/WoTshow/comments/1k5d09u/im_nikhil_koparkar_composer_for_the_wheel_of/?rdt=47060)

Playlist (Apple Music or Spotify)

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/tar-valon-or-bust/pl.u-3GRWUW73oz

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4SnmhD31ndrJiJeQAqFgBz?si=fzoGGQ1YTqayw3YvL6Li4A

BryanDunnMusic.net

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the end?!!! Well, an end. Join Preeti and Jenn for a very extended discussion on their feelings about how things get wrapped up, what they were very wrong about just one episode ago, and for what comes next for Tar Valon or Bust. Spoiler alert: There is more!

Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot is out now!

Merch:

tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com [new designs available!]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Preeti and Jenn as they discuss this absolute JAW-DROPPER of a finale (also can someone please let us know when Season 4 is confirmed, and can that be AS SOON AS POSSIBLE).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FEELINGS. JUST NONSTOP FEELINGS, Y'ALL.

Next episode: Chapters 38 - Epilogue, airing (probably) next week.

Bryan Dunn's album Zapgun! [Bandcamp]

Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot is out now!

Merch:

tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com [new designs available!]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.