Tar Valon Or Bust

By Jenn Northington and Preeti Chhibber

Longtime fans Jenn and Preeti revisit the Wheel of Time series in preparation for the TV show’s launch, and dig into their personal connections with the books, how well they hold up, and what they thi... more

4.9

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FAQs about Tar Valon Or Bust:

How many episodes does Tar Valon Or Bust have?

The podcast currently has 150 episodes available.

Tar Valon Or Bust episodes:

December 22, 2025 The Green Knight
In which Jenn and Preeti work their way through The Green Knight by David Lowery, starring Dev Patel, with sidebars into Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by The Gawain Poet! So many colors! So many vignettes! So many choices (or lack thereof!!!)

Next episode, sometime in January 2026: The Hollow Hills, Book 1: The Waiting, Sections 1-7

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

Preorder SUPERNATURAL: Valentine's Day Special from your local comic book shop: https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513036287201011

Read STRANGE TAILS #1 on Marvel Unlimited now! https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/134670/strange_tails_infinity_comic_2025_1
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 32min
November 19, 2025 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
In which Preeti and Jenn revisit Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, which is actually two different movies (one of which is actually a video game), and possibly the least "King Arthur" Arthurian movie ever created. Listen as they talk female characters, meta-narrative, folk songs in fantasy properties, and more.

The Devil & The Huntsman, by Sam Lee and Daniel Pemberton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGnfFW-vyzU&themeRefresh=1

Jenn's Note: Also! We completely forgot until after we stopped recording that this episode is basically the 5-year anniversary of TVOB! Seems weirdly fitting, somehow.

Next episode, Mid-December: The Green Knight

Join Preeti at Barnes & Noble in Atlanta for a Romance panel!

Slash, The Game: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148209/slash-romance-without-boundaries

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.
...more
1h 10min
October 29, 2025The Crystal Cave, Book 5: The Coming of the Bear, Section 6 - The Legend of Merlin
In which Jenn and Preeti take back any nice things they ever said about Uther, have wildly different memories of this section, are gobsmacked by the fight but less enthused about the pages and pages of descriptions of wind, and talk a lot about word choice and authorial intent.

Next episodes: Movie Break!
Mid-November, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Mid-December, The Green Knight

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

Read Preeti's story in the new anthology, For the Rest of Us
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 10min
October 15, 2025 The Crystal Cave, Book 5: The Coming of the Bear, Sections 1-5
In which Preeti and Jenn discuss Merlin's (lack of) interiority, Mary Stewart's stylistic and mythological choices, and the Absolute Unit that is Ygraine.

Next episode: Book V, The Coming of the Bear, Section 6 - The Legend of Merlin

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

Read Preeti's story in the new anthology, For the Rest of Us
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 25min
September 18, 2025 The Crystal Cave, Book 4: The Red Dragon, Sections 6-10
In which Jenn and Preeti talk about emotional disconnection, historical infodumps, Big Feelings about Ambrosius and Merlin, and quests.

Next episode: Book V, The Coming of the Bear: Sections 1-5

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

Read Preeti's story in the new anthology, For the Rest of Us
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 20min
August 31, 2025 The Crystal Cave, Book 4: The Red Dragon, Sections 1-5
In which Preeti and Jenn discuss timeline wibbly-wobbliness, Merlin's misogyny, #JusticeForNiniane, and the only moment in which they sort of liked Uther.

Next episode: Book IV, The Red Dragon: Sections 6-10

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.
...more
1h 4min
August 06, 2025 The Crystal Cave, Book 3: The Wolf, Sections 7-12
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.
...more
1h 18min
July 23, 2025 The Crystal Cave, Book 3: The Wolf, Sections 1-6
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.
...more
1h 28min
July 06, 2025 The Crystal Cave, Book 2: The Falcon
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.
...more
2h 60min
June 19, 2025 The Crystal Cave, Prologue through Book I: The Dove
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.
...more
2h 30min

FAQs about Tar Valon Or Bust:

How many episodes does Tar Valon Or Bust have?

The podcast currently has 150 episodes available.

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