Episodes
![When Miserable People Get Happy Endings: "Unlikeable" Protagonists in Alexis Hall's Writing](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/blog-alexishall_300x300.jpg)
Monday Jul 01, 2024
Monday Jul 01, 2024
Hello and welcome to Books That Burn with another book essay from Robin! Thank you to Case Aiken, who receives a monthly Patron shoutout. This essay discusses (and moderately spoils) the following works by Alexis Hall:
-
ROSALINE PALMER TAKES THE CAKE (2021)
-
10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED (2023)
-
GLITTERLAND (2013)
-
WAITING FOR THE FLOOD (2024 edition)
-
FOR REAL (2015)
-
A LADY FOR A DUKE (2022)
-
BOYFRIEND MATERIAL (2020)
-
HUSBAND MATERIAL (2022)
-
THE AFFAIR OF THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER (2019)
A brief note: when I first conceptualized this essay, I thought I was going to read every published novel by Alexis Hall, then I intended to discuss at least one book from each of their series. It turns out that their catalog is so extensive that even after taking two months to read (and occasionally, reread) as much of their work as I could get my hands on, I still haven’t gotten to everything. Neither do I, on balance, want to spoil major elements of their entire catalog. Therefore, I haven’t read everything they've written, and I don’t reference every single thing that I read. However, I read enough to be sure of my point generally, and am happy with what I’ve chosen to reference specifically.
Preamble (00:00)
Content Warnings (01:29)
Introduction (01:52)
Learning to Be Okay with One's Own Flaws (5:05)
Becoming Less Reactive to the Shortcomings of Others (11:05)
Reaching for Community (14:12)
Accepting Something Already True (23:51)
Internal Reflection and Attitude Adjustment (25:49)
Change Inspired by Others (30:59)
Not Changing At All (36:24)
Conclusion: Challenging "Likeability" As A Goal (38:02)
![The Rise and Fall of Snow: Why the Hunger Games prequel is good, actually](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/Blog-hungergamesprequel_300x300.jpg)
Monday Jun 03, 2024
The Rise and Fall of Snow: Why the Hunger Games prequel is good, actually
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Welcome to another book essay from Robin! Thank you to Case Aiken, who receives a monthly Patron shoutout. This was originally going to be an essay comparing The Hunger Games series to the Uglies quartet, but I ended up with so much to say about each series on their own that instead this discusses just The Hunger Games trilogy and the role of its prequel, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes".
This contains major spoilers for “The Hunger Games”, “Catching Fire”, “Mockingjay”, and “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, all by Suzanne Collins.
![Disability, Identity, and Allegorical Gender in SHADES AND SILVER](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/5843319/BTB_CPOV_large_300x300.jpg)
Monday May 06, 2024
Disability, Identity, and Allegorical Gender in SHADES AND SILVER
Monday May 06, 2024
Monday May 06, 2024
Welcome to another book essay from Robin! Thank you Case Aiken, who receives a monthly Patron shoutout.
-----
This essay contains spoilers for SHADES AND SILVER by Dax Murray.
Many attempts at gender allegories in fantasy (or sci-fi) fall apart because they try to replicate binary gender in an attempt at gender essentialism in different trappings. SHADES AND SILVER deftly avoids this by starting without gender and then never focusing on it.
![Anatomy of Sequels - A Reviewer's Perspective](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/Blog-sequelanatomy_300x300.jpg)
Monday Apr 01, 2024
Anatomy of Sequels - A Reviewer's Perspective
Monday Apr 01, 2024
Monday Apr 01, 2024
Sometime in the first year of my review blog, I developed a checklist which I use when reviewing sequels. It helps me qualitatively describe how they are composed, and how they interact with the surrounding books in their respective series. More recently, I added a much shorter checklist for describing the first book in a series.
Full Episode Text on Reviews That Burn
Works Cited
Ancrum, K. The Weight of the Stars. Imprint, 2019.
---. The Wicker King. Imprint, 2017.
Black, Holly. Ironside: A Modern Faerie Tale. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2020.
---. Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2020.
---. Valiant: A Modern Faerie Tale. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2020.
Brown, Roseanne A. A Psalm of Storms and Silence. HarperCollins, 2021.
---. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. HarperCollins, 2020.
Callender, Kacen. King of the Rising. Hachette UK, 2020.
---. Queen of the Conquered. Hachette UK, 2019.
Cipri, Nino. Defekt. Tordotcom, 2021.
---. Finna. Tordotcom, 2020.
Grant, Mira. Blackout. Orbit, 2012.
---. Deadline. Orbit, 2011.
---. Feed. Orbit, 2010.
---. Feedback. Orbit, 2016.
Khaw, Cassandra. A Song for Quiet. Tor.com, 2017.
---. Hammers on Bone. Tor.com, 2016.
Maxwell, Everina. Ocean’s Echo. Hachette UK, 2022.
---. Winter’s Orbit. Tor Books, 2021.
McGuire, Seanan. Be the Serpent. Astra Publishing House, 2022.
---. Sleep No More. Astra Publishing House, 2023.
---. The Innocent Sleep. Astra Publishing House, 2023.
Reid, Ava. Juniper and Thorn. Random House, 2022.
---. The Wolf and the Woodsman: A Novel. HarperCollins, 2021.
Weir, Andy. Artemis: A Novel. Ballantine Books, 2017.
---. The Martian: A Novel. Ballantine Books, 2014.
Westerfeld, Scott. Extras. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
---. Pretties. Simon and Schuster, 2008.
---. Specials. Simon and Schuster, 2011.
---. Uglies. Simon and Schuster, 2011.
![Why ”Immortal Longings” Isn’t Like ”The Hunger Games”](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/longings_300x300.jpg)
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Why ”Immortal Longings” Isn’t Like ”The Hunger Games”
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Greetings! Welcome to Books That Burn. I'm Robin, welcome to another book essay about something that was too big of a thought to fit into a normal review, specifically: Why Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong is not like The Hunger Games. Please feel free to send us suggestions for future essays. Before I get started, I'd like to thank our Patron who gets a monthly shoutout, Case Aiken. The support of our Patrons makes this podcast (and blog) possible, and we're grateful to all of you.
When perusing other reviews of Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong, I've seen many comparisons to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This comparison is both slightly true and mostly unhelpful as a generalization, as what they have in common are either superficial genre features or not unique to The Hunger Games. I understand why the comparison occurs to people so I'd like to take it seriously. Nicole and I have covered The Hunger Games on our podcast, and I recently reviewed Immortal Longings. I'll also make some reference to an earlier book with many of the same elements as later appeared in The Hunger Games: Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. You can find both parts of our podcast discussion on that book here (Part 1, Part 2), as well as my written review of Battle Royale. While I think it does make sense to compare and contrast them, these books are not interchangeable.
![Queerness and Monstrosity in ”Night Shine” and ”Moon Dark Smile” by Tessa Gratton](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/Queerness-Gratton_300x300.jpg)
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Greetings! Welcome to Books That Burn. I'm Robin, and this is the first essay I've specifically written for the podcast, to be made available first to Patrons, then to the main feed and on Reviews That Burn. Please feel free to send us suggestions for future essays. Before I get started, I'd like to thank our Patron who gets a monthly shoutout, Case Aiken. The support of our Patrons makes this podcast (and blog) possible, and we're grateful to all of you.
*This essay spoils major elements of NIGHT SHINE and MOON DARK SMILE by Tessa Gratton.
![Sleep No More, The Innocent Sleep, and the Death of Personality](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/blog-ODB5_300x300.jpg)
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Sleep No More, The Innocent Sleep, and the Death of Personality
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
*This essay contains moderate spoilers for the first sixteen October Daye books, major spoilers for SLEEP NO MORE and THE INNOCENT SLEEP, and minor spoilers for Babylon 5 (S3 E4 "Passing Through Gethsemane").
INTRO (00:36)
When reading SLEEP NO MORE and THE INNOCENT SLEEP by Seanan McGuire (the newest October Daye books), I was struck by similarities in the ethical framework of these two books and certain aspects of the 1990's sci-fi show Babylon 5, particularly the way that changes in personality or memories are treated with relation to assumptions of personhood. I am certain that Seanan McGuire is also very familiar with Babylon 5 because one of her telepathic characters in the Incryptid series uses specific aspects of Babylon 5 as a framework for ethical telepathy.
THE DEATH OF PERSONALITY IN BABYLON 5 (01:12)
UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS (04:46)
MAJOR CHARACTERS (06:45)
-
Toby - Nickname for Sir October Daye, titular character of the series, changeling (fae mother, human father)
-
October - Toby’s current personality in SLEEP NO MORE and THE INNOCENT SLEEP, remembers a different history from Toby of the first sixteen books
-
Tybalt - Cait Sidhe (cat fae), Toby’s husband (October doesn’t remember him)
-
Amandine - October’s mother
-
Simon Torquill - Daoine Sidhe, Amandine’s husband, October’s father (not by blood)
-
Titania - One of the queens of Faerie, cast the illusion which created October from Toby and distorted many people’s memories
-
Quentin - Daoine Sidhe, Toby’s squire in the previous books, currently squire to someone else
-
August - October’s sister, daughter of Amandine and Simon
-
Stacy - Toby’s friend from childhood, recently removed by Titania
PLOT HIGHLIGHTS (07:47)
TOBY VS. OCTOBER (09:57)
WHY TITANIA DOESN'T THINK THIS IS HARM (11:17)
WHY OCTOBER WANTS TO REMAIN (13:06)
THE RIDE AND TITANIA’S ALTERATIONS (14:04)
TITANIA'S TRAP ON THE RIDE (16:19)
ETHICAL PARADOXES - PERHAPS UNSOLVABLE (17:42)
THE RESOLUTION (22:00)
A MASSACRE OF MINDS (25:00)
![Additional Reflections on ”Feed Them Silence” by Lee Mandelo](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/blog-silence-pod_300x300.jpg)
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Additional Reflections on ”Feed Them Silence” by Lee Mandelo
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Monday Dec 18, 2023
To tide you over between regular episodes, Robin reads their blog post from April 2023.
-----
This is a follow-up to my review of "Feed Them Silence" by Lee Mandelo, involving some thoughts that are too personal to make sense in the review as they swiftly veer away from the text specifically and instead into a broader meta-conversation of books like this which I have read previously, assumed correlations between emotional complexity and humanity, and how processing these thoughts has prompted me to make a change in my own life.
CW for discussion of ableism, dehumanization, animal cruelty/death, body-horror-adjacent concepts, and brief mentions of racism and genocide
-----
Wikipedia - Philosophical Zombie
![Reflections on ”Singularity” by William Sleator](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/Blog-singularity_300x300.jpg)
Monday Nov 20, 2023
Reflections on ”Singularity” by William Sleator
Monday Nov 20, 2023
Monday Nov 20, 2023
To tide you over between regular episodes, Robin reads their blog post from July 2022 with thoughts on the book "Singularity". You can find the original post here. The spoiler-free book review is here.
![Ensemble Heist Stories in Fiction](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog5843319/Blog-heist-pod_300x300.jpg)
Monday Oct 16, 2023
Ensemble Heist Stories in Fiction
Monday Oct 16, 2023
Monday Oct 16, 2023
Please enjoy Robin reading their blog post with some thoughts on ensemble heist stories in fiction. If you'd prefer to read it instead, you can find it here. Refer below for books of the types discussed.
-----
Unplanned:
- THE ART OF SAVING THE WORLD by Corinne Duyvis - Parallel worlds subversion of the "big damn hero"
Technically this group is unplanned and they don't already know each other, but on the other hand the group is the same person over and over from different parallel worlds. This leads to a feeling closest to the "unplanned" type.
Mastermind:
- RIVER OF TEETH by Sarah Gailey (its sequel is TASTE OF MARROW)Alternate history with hippo farming in the American South.
I recommend getting the duology in the collected volume AMERICAN HIPPO
Pre-Assembled:
- JADE CITY by Fonda Lee (also its sequel JADE WAR, I'll be shocked if this is totally absent from the forthcoming conclusion JADE LEGACY)Lots of people have their own great reasons to steal lots of things in this epic clash between two powerful warring families. If I remember most of them knew each other before they their various thieving escapades, but it's possible that you could argue individual scenes fit "unplanned" or "mastermind" better.
- FEED, DEADLINE, BLACKOUT, and FEEDBACK by Mira GrantZombies, Politics, and Blogging. DEADLINE is the most thoroughly a heist story but the whole series is worth reading.
- BENEATH THE CITADEL by Destiny SoriaFantasy story about revolution, loss, and memory.
- TASTE OF MARROW by Sarah Gailey (sequel to RIVER OF TEETH)Alternate history with hippo farming in the American South.
I recommend getting the duology in the collected volume AMERICAN HIPPO - CONFESSIONS OF THE FOX by Jordy RosenbergTrans retelling of notorious thieves Jack and Bess. I'm unsure whether this is just the framing or if it's actually retelling an existing story, but either way I loved it.
Hero Needs A Crew:
- THE SPACE BETWEEN WORLDS by Micaiah JohnsonDimensional time travel story following an initially-lone hero who ends up assembling a group around her in order to pull off the big event.
A mix of solo and group heists. - TIMEKEEPER by Tara SimA clocktower mechanic is trying to get his father back by fixing time.
Cool heists in otherwise non-heist books/anthologies:
- "The Takeback Tango" by Rebecca Roanhorse in the anthology A UNIVERSE OF WISHES edited by Dhonielle ClaytonThe story itself is a fantastic single-person heist in the midst of an otherwise non-heist anthology.
- "A Drop of Stolen Ink" by Emily Lloyd-Jones (retelling of "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe) in the anthology HIS HIDEOUS HEART, edited by Dahlia Adler
- LEGENDBORN by Tracy DeonnModern-day Arthurian retelling.
Contains a two-person heist partway through. - THE WEIGHT OF THE STARS by K. AncrumSapphic romance: A girl yearns to travel the stars but thinks she must be content with her responsibilities on Earth.
- THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO by K.S. VillosoA queen journeys to meet her estranged husband and then has to flee from assassins in a strange land.