Episodes

Monday Mar 06, 2023
Stand-Alone 26: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Monday Mar 06, 2023
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.

Monday Jan 30, 2023
Highlight 25: A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Monday Jan 30, 2023
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.

Monday Dec 26, 2022
Stand-Alone 25: The Storyteller’s Daughter by Cameron Dokey
Monday Dec 26, 2022
Monday Dec 26, 2022
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.

Monday Dec 12, 2022
Highlight 24: Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
This fortnight we’re discussing “Queen of the Conquered” by Kacen Callender, the first book in the Islands of Blood and Storm duology.
- PUBLISHER: Orbit
- YEAR: 2019
- LENGTH: 400 pages
- AGE: Adult
- GENRE: Fantasy, Mystery
- RECOMMENDED: Highly
Members of theCertain Point of View network of podcasts.

Monday Nov 28, 2022
Stand-Alone 24: Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Monday Nov 28, 2022
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.

Monday Nov 14, 2022
Highlight 23: Sassinak by Elizabeth Moon and Anne McCaffrey
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Monday Nov 14, 2022
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.

Monday Oct 31, 2022
Stand-Alone 23: Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Monday Oct 31, 2022
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.

Monday Oct 17, 2022
Stand-Alone 22: Fledgling by Octavia Butler
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Monday Oct 17, 2022
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.

Monday Sep 26, 2022
Highlight 22: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Monday Sep 26, 2022
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.

Monday Sep 12, 2022
Highlight 21: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Monday Sep 12, 2022
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.