”Why are some people treated differently? Why are some people chosen ones for no particular reason? And why do some people get to have that extra shine?” — Victoria Aveyard

Unfairness is a pervasive theme in a lot of fantasy fiction. With battles between good and evil dominating title after title, these tales appear to have a tight grasp on fairness and justice. But for Victoria Aveyard, the world of fantasy frequently falls short on these promises. Even in some of her favorite works, the light may ultimately overcome the darkness, but not every character is given a fair chance to shine. 

Victoria Aveyard is the number one New York Times bestselling author of The Red Queen series and the Realm Breaker series. In her work, she creates epic fantasy landscapes where women loom large and conventions around chosen characters are challenged.

In this episode, Victoria opens up about why her sense of fairness took shape early, shares which undersized movie character is her icon, and reflects on why there’s no escaping politics in literature. Settle in for a fast-paced episode filled with humor and a variety of Victoria’s hot takes. 

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For her reading challenge, Chosen/Unchosen, Victoria encourages readers to question the trope of “the chosen one.” She asks us to challenge why some are handed the quest, the crown, or the magic…and what happens to everyone else.

Peruse selected titles and Victoria’s complete reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/victoria-aveyard

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This week's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Camille Perez, a former media specialist at the elementary and high school levels in Osceola County, Florida, and now a Beanstack team member. Today, Camille shares her hot takes on the modern school library and why shush culture should be a thing of the past.

Show Chapters

Chapter 1: Rotten With the Need for Justice

Chapter 2: Hell Yeah, There’s My Personality

Chapter 3: The Invisible Women

Chapter 4: Six of Crows

Chapter 5: Everything is Political

Chapter 6: Whipped Cream Shire

Chapter 7: Reading Challenge

Chapter 8: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links

• The Reading Culture
• The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
• Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
• Victoria Aveyard
• Victoria Aveyard Instagram
• Red Queen
• Realm Breaker
• Number the Stars
• A New Hope opening scene
• Samuel Delaney
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
• Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb, Josia Lamberto-Egan, and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey