Books That Burn

This episode we’re discussing “Hench” by Natalie Zina Walschots. It's a story of using spreadsheets to show that the destructive "heroes" are the real villains.

• PUBLISHER: William Morrow
• YEAR: 2020
• LENGTH: 416 pages
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Superheroes
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Murder. Begins at (1:30), CW for murder.

Topic 2: Body Horror. Begins at (19:05), CW for gore, body horror.

Topic 3: Medical Trauma. Begins at (29:41), CW for injury detail, medical content, medical trauma.

Promo for CPOV Men of Steel; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (41:34).

Book TW for cursing, sexism, misogyny (graphic), ableism, grief (graphic), kidnapping (graphic), confinement, child abuse (brief), panic attacks (graphic), stalking, infidelity, toxic friendship, toxic relationship, sexual harassment (brief), alcohol (brief), drug use (smoking), excrement, blood, vomit (graphic), gore (graphic), injury detail (graphic), body horror (graphic), medical content (graphic), medical trauma (graphic), torture, violence (graphic), murder (graphic), major character death (graphic), death (graphic).

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This month we’re discussing “A Blade So Black” by L.L. McKinney, the first book in the NightmareVerse trilogy, retelling Alice in Wonderland with a Bi Black girl from Atlanta, Georgia.

• PUBLISHER: Imprint

• YEAR: 2018

• LENGTH: 384 pages

• AGE: Young Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: PTSD. Begins at (1:35), CW for racism, police brutality, murder, child death.

Topic 2: “House” Arrest. Begins at (12:58), CW for confinement, death.

Topic 3: Wounds. Begins at (26:07), CW for medical content.

Promo for Saturday Morning Confidential from Certain POV; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (33:14).

Book TWs: Graphic/Explicit CW for grief, blood, violence. Moderate CW for sexual content, cursing, adult/minor relationship, vomit, gore, murder, injury detail, child death, parental death, death. Minor CW for ableist language, racism, dementia, alcohol, gun violence, body horror. Brief Harry Potter reference.

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. 

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “The Storyteller’s Daughter” by Cameron Dokey, a retelling of the Arabian Nights.

• PUBLISHER: Simon Pulse
• YEAR: 1997
• LENGTH: 221 pages
• AGE: Young Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy
• RECOMMENDED: Yes

Topic 1: Power Imbalance. Begins at (1:35), CW for death.

Topic 2: Infidelity. Begins at (16:46), CW for illness, infidelity, murder, death.

Topic 3: Misogyny. Begins at (29:12), CW for sexism, misogyny, infidelity, death.

Promo for CPOV - Screen Snark; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (41:17).

Book TW for grief, ableism, sexism, misogyny, bullying (brief), infidelity, infertility (brief), confinement, toxic relationship, blood, violence, terminal illness, murder, suicide, parental death, death.

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Queen of the Conquered” by Kacen Callender, the first book in the Islands of Blood and Storm duology.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Portrait of a Thief” by Grace D. Li, a thriller where five young Chinese Americans are hired to steal back Chinese art from Western museums.

• PUBLISHER: Tiny Reparations Books
• YEAR: 2022
• LENGTH: 320 pages
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Financial Insecurity. Begins at (1:35), no major CWs.

Topic 2: Betrayal. Begins at (20:33), CW for parental death (backstory).

Topic 3: Diaspora Experience. Begins at (32:42), no major CWs.

Promo for CPOV - RMC vs CG; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (52:52).

Book TW for alcohol, cursing, sexual content (brief), grief, racism (brief mention), xenophobia (brief mention), domestic abuse (brief), fire (brief), colonization (backstory), parental death (backstory), COVID pandemic (backstory).

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. 

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Sassinak” by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon. This covers several decades of the protagonists life as she's enslaved by planet pirates and then spends several decades getting the skills for stopping them.

• TITLE: Sassinak

• AUTHOR: Elizabeth Moon, Anne McCaffrey

• PUBLISHER: Baen

• YEAR: 2020

• LENGTH: 304 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy, Science Fiction

• RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for sexual content (brief mention), ableism (brief), grief (graphic), xenophobia, bullying, sexual harassment, mental illness (brief), drug abuse (backstory), kidnapping, vomit, blood, gore, violence, gun violence, torture (brief mention), child abuse, slavery (graphic), suicide (brief), animal death (brief mention), murder, child death (graphic), parental death, death (graphic).

Topic 1: Abandonment. Begins at (1:35), CW for suicide, death.

Topic 2: Racism. Begins at (16:12), CW for racism, death.

Topic 3: Enslavement. Begins at (34:28), CW for slavery, death.

Promo for The Real Movie Critic vs the Cine-Guy; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (43:32).

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Radiance” by Catherynne M. Valente. Set in an alternate version of the 1920's where the planets are as lush as as early sci-fi thought they'd be, and the moon makes a surprisingly good film set as long as you don't mind that the actors turn blue.

• TITLE: Radiance

• AUTHOR: Catherynne M. Valente

• PUBLISHER: Tor Books

• YEAR: 2015

• LENGTH: 352 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy, Science Fiction

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for ableist language (brief), cursing, grief (graphic), abortion (backstory), racism (backstory), homophobia, sexual harassment (backstory), sexual content, drug use, drug abuse, alcohol, body horror, animal cruelty (not depicted), domestic abuse, vomit (graphic), blood (graphic), gore (graphic), violence, war (brief mention), gun violence (backstory), self harm, suicide, cannibalism (ambiguous), murder, death.

Topic 1: Percival Unck - Child Death. Begins at (1:37 after intro), CW for child death, death.

Topic 2: Anchises - Lone Survivor. Begins at (15:45), CW for death.

Topic 3: Severin Unck- Death? Begins at (26:02), CW for drug use, death.

Promo for CPOV RobCast; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (34:40). Honored guest Grimoire makes an appearance at (39:18) and (42:54-44:28).

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. 

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing the vampire novel, “Fledgling”, by Octavia Butler.

• TITLE: Fledgling

• AUTHOR: Octavia E. Butler

• PUBLISHER: Grand Central Publishing

• YEAR: 2005

• LENGTH: 310 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for memory loss, animal death, ableism, racism, racial slurs, violence, gun violence, blood, major character death, death.

Topic 1: Coercion. Begins at (1:35), CW for murder.

Topic 2: Memory Loss. Begins at (9:35), CW for adult/minor relationship (brief mention), murder, death.

Topic 3: Racism. Begins at (19:05), CW for racism, murder, death.

Promo for CPOV - Fun & Games Promo; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (29:35).

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Gideon The Ninth” by Tamsyn Muir, a book best described as "lesbian necromancers in space". We’re joined by special guest S.T. ("Saint") Gibson! You can find all their stuff at their website.

• TITLE: Gideon the Ninth

• AUTHOR: Tamsyn Muir

• PUBLISHER: Tor/Forge

• YEAR: 2019

• LENGTH: 448 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy, Science Fiction

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for cursing, ableism (brief), grief, toxic friendship/relationship, vomit, blood (graphic), violence (graphic), gore (graphic), body horror (graphic), cannibalism, medical content, degenerative illness, emotional abuse, physical abuse (backstory), child abuse (backstory), suicide (backstory), child death (graphic), murder (graphic), self harm, parental death (backstory), major character death (graphic), death (graphic).

Topic 1: Toxic Relationship. Begins at (1:35), CW for toxic relationship, blood, cannibalism, death.

Topic 2: Suicide. Begins at (14:27), CW for toxic relationship, suicide, murder, death.

Topic 3: Cannibalism. Begins at (24:40), CW for vomit (brief mention), gore, body horror, child death, suicide, death.

Promo for Comics Quest from Certain POV; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (35:16). The wrapup contains an extended discussion of how suicide is handled in the book as a topic for the care rating.

---

This episode discusses fictional depictions of suicide. If you're in the United States the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. For those of our audience outside of the United States, you may be able to find the suicide hotline number or other appropriate emergency services for your country inthis directory provided by OpenCounseling.

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn. Unusually for us, we have just one main topic where we discuss how the deaths and absences of several characters’ mothers are handled.

• TITLE: Legendborn

• AUTHOR: Tracy Deonn

• PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster

• YEAR: 2020

• LENGTH: 511 pages

• AGE: Young Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for discussion of slavery, discussion of sexual assault, discussion of colonization, grief (graphic), racism, sexism, kidnapping, child abuse (backstory), blood, violence, gore (graphic), torture, car accident, animal death, parental death, major character death. Harry Potter reference (brief).

Main Discussion: Death of Parent. Begins at (1:35), CW for abandonment, neglect, memory loss, alcoholism (brief mention), parental death, death.

Promo for CPOV - Reignite; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (30:50).

---

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.

To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.

For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter.

You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.