Full Text Here 

TITLES DISCUSSED

• The Governess Affair (2012)
• The Duchess War (2012)
• A Kiss for Midwinter (2012)
• The Heiress Effect (2013)
• The Countess Conspiracy (2013)
• The Suffragette Scandal (2014)
• Talk Sweetly to Me (2014)

If you like this you may like:

• Four Weddings to Fall in Love by Jackie Lau
• The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan

Bookshop Affiliate Buy Links:

• The Governess Affair
• A Kiss for Midwinter
• Talk Sweetly to Me

Fantastic Fiction Author Page 

Author Website

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Reviews That Burn is a review blog which accompanies the Books That Burn podcast. Books That Burn is a member of the Certain Point of View podcast network. Essays, blog posts, and reviews are by Robin. This was written without the use of generative AI, and may not be used for the training of LLMs or genAI models. All music was composed by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org.

PUBLISHER: Argyll Productions YEAR: 2018 LENGTH: 426 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Romance RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Manipulation. Begins at (1:38), CW for harassment, confinement, financial abuse, violence, rape (brief mention), epidemic mention, 

Topic 2: Betrayal. Begins at (14:25), CW for grief, injury detail, murder, death

Topic 3: Compulsion. Begins at (33:44), CW for injury detail, violence, suicide

Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (43:50). 

Book TW for Graphic/Explicit CW for suicidal thoughts, blood, violence, death. Moderate CW for sexual content, grief, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, kidnapping, confinement, physical abuse, domestic abuse, excrement, alcohol, injury detail, medical content, murder, suicide, animal death. Minor CW for pregnancy, alcoholism, vomit, fire, terminal illness, torture, war, slavery, parental death, child death.

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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.

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.

Robin is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org.

Full Text Here

Powerful noble families known as the beat-of-fours, answerable only to a ruler and the mysterious, godlike fae, scheme and squabble amongst themselves, and go to war for the chance to put one of their own on the throne. But the fae might be pulling more strings than the nobles realize and they definitely have their favorites. A series of love stories loosely centered around the political crisis that led to the current ruler, featuring oblivious librarians, crafty though loving kings, an innocent half-fae noble, a legendary outlaw turned conqueror, worried warriors, clever guards, and an infamous beauty.

PUBLISHER: Independently Published LENGTH: ~1000 pages so far AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Romance RECOMMENDED: Highly

Queer Rep Summary: m/m and m/m/m fantasy romance

TITLES DISCUSSED

• A SUITABLE CONSORT (2021)
• A SUITABLE BODYGUARD (2023)
• A SUITABLE CAPTIVE (2023)
• A SUITABLE STRAY (2025) 

OTHER TITLES 

• BLESSED (2024) - Omegaverse AU 
• A SUITABLE BRAT (2025)

Before I get into my review of the series so far, I have two brief announcements!

First, I'm excited to announce that I've joined the Creator Accountability Network. CAN is a nonprofit dedicated to reducing harassment and abuse through ethical education and a system of restorative accountability. I joined because I care about the safety and well being of my community members. If you feel my behavior or content has harmed someone, please report it to CAN, either via the reporting form on their website, CreatorAccountabilityNetwork.org, or via their hotline at (617-249-4255). They’ll help me make it right, and avoid repeating that mistake in the future. CAN also needs volunteers from our communities to help with their work, so if you have skills you think would be helpful, or time and a desire to help, please visit their website to find out how you can volunteer. Most importantly, get the word out to other creators who you think would be interested in getting credentialed. Help us build safer communities together.

Second, the Suitable 'Verse has a new entry! I wrote and recorded this before the November 5th release date (and Patrons get this review early), but by the time this is posted for everyone else, the new novella, "A Suitable Brat" will be available. I reached out to R. Cooper and confirmed that this won't be the end of the series. In my series reviews I've left open the possibility of reviewing a portion of a series that is ongoing, as long as there are at least three books available at the time. In this case, there are four, so I'm proceeding with my post in its original scope. If this series sounds like your thing, there's already more for you to read.

Each of these stories follows an achillean romance from the point of view of someone who was not expecting to be desired by anyone, let alone by the person or persons who endeavor to show them just how much they are cherished. Each is told from one person's perspective, generally whomever is the most neurodivergent-coded in the potential relationship, this character will also be either closely or distantly descended from the fae, who have taken an interest in the kingdom where the books are set. This allows for a slow burn feeling without padding the page count to achieve it. I'm fond of books which show someone figuring out not just what they want but how to go about it, especially in the context of a relationship. R. Cooper treats these relationships as ongoing conversations, where words, actions, and body language combine as communication. Different characters need different things, and even among the variously oblivious protagonists there are degrees of understanding, knowledge, and context which they are quicker or slower to realize. 

This series is very queer, set in what appears to be a queernorm world where polyamory is accepted and implied to be relatively common. Thus far, sexuality or orientation have not been remarked upon as anything significant, and this trend seems likely to continue. These books feature some politically tense and sometimes violent situations, but do not wield most real-world bigotries as bludgeons. I say "most" because the most prevalent bigotry I spotted was classism, followed by whatever the right term for bigotry against the fae, given the way they are inhuman and neurodivergent-coded.

There will be some distant day when this series is complete and it's possible to read the stories from start to finish in chronological order. Today is not that day, and until that point I advise reading them in publication order, especially since that is not the chronological order. I give this advice for anyone who enjoys figuring out timelines, what's going on, and where things relate to other things. Each book's position in the grander saga of political upheaval and new governance helps inform the others in the series, overlapping enough that some pieces could be missing without losing too much of that arc. The loose fit of the stories in relation to one another means that if any of them contain particularly triggering content for an individual reader, that book could be skipped without losing too much of the overall story. The individual stories are self-contained and could be read in any order, but elements of the worldbuilding are explained in varying detail depending on the needs of the individual story. I enjoyed the revelatory feeling of figuring out where the second and third books fit in relation to the first, though I do not consider that information to be a spoiler for any of the stories involved. Instead, they allow for a sense of context and history in this fictional world, and for excitement as the pieces come together for the reader.

Each book has a different set of main characters, and is set in a different point in time. Some characters appear in multiple books, depending on how close they are in time to one another. Even though the different point of view characters have a great deal in common in terms of their autism-coded neurodivergence and general obliviousness to social cues, they're different enough in other respects that it does not feel like they're one character. Mattin is very aware of social forms, rules, and political implications of various actions, he just doesn't seem to think of them as having any positive effects for him, personally. He's likely to get lost in research or chasing some history through the archives. Tiiran is very focused on the rules and the way things ought to be, thinking through what it means when those norms are broken, and what bad actors with corrupt motives might do to preserve current inequalities. He tends to be very pessimistic, thinking of himself as discarded by the Fae and unimportant. Fen doesn't have much of a sense of self-preservation. He'll take risks to achieve a better outcome than the one that would happen if he did nothing. I'm not sure if he's optimistic or just pragmatic, at least in the beginning. By the end, Fen is helping Lan make strategic moves that show he's thinking further ahead than even what Lan had dreamt. Zelli has such a low sense of self preservation that he let himself actually die and needed to be brought back by the fae. 

In A SUITABLE CONSORT (For the King and His Husband), Mattin is a librarian and advisor to the king, Arden. When one of the nobles suggests the king marry again (said while his husband, Mil, is in the room at Arden's side), the king takes the suggestion seriously and asks Mattin to help him choose someone. Mattin adores the royal couple and the story of their romance, so he compiles a list of potential spouses who would meet the political goals of such a union without being slighted by being a lower priority as the new member of an existing marriage. Despite meeting all the criteria he outlined to Arden and Mil as being relevant for compiling the list, Mattin doesn't for a moment consider putting himself in as a candidate. It turns out that Arden and Mil have already been interested in Mattin, but were worried his apparent lack of interest was because they were too old for him. Arden asks Mattin for advice on courting and then he and Mil proceed to follow all Mattin's advice... on Mattin, who still doesn't realize what they are doing. A crisis at the palace forces the issue when Mattin is in danger and Mil and Arden rescue him, bringing him to their bedroom and providing a space for a conversation which finally clears up the various confusions about each person's actions and intentions. Mattin didn't put himself on the list because he didn't think of himself as someone two people as great as the king and his husband could want. He was very wrong, and they take great delight in showing him how much he is cherished.

I've become used to the linearity of series in a way that is, I suspect, common for anyone who reads as many books as I do. The Suitable 'Verse, as published, is not a linear story, and I think it's stronger for it. The larger context builds slowly, requiring minimal description in subsequent books to place them in relation to A Suitable Consort. This may be a chance meeting between characters, an epilogue, or the shape of the current situation in a more general sense. 

In A SUITABLE STRAY, Tiiran spent a long while completely oblivious to the fact that not only are both Orin and Nikola interested in him, but that he desire both of them and wants to be desired in return. Because most of this book is not spent with anyone in active danger, at least as far as Tiiran knows, the pacing is more languid, with more room to linger in each phase. In contrast to A SUITABLE CONSORT, where two-thirds of the book was spent with Mattin completely oblivious to how he was being courted, A SUITABLE STRAY has more time spent with Tiiran actively in a sexual relationship. This is while, somehow, taking even longer to realize that the way Tiiran has become entangled with Orin and Nikola means that he is not just pleasantly passing time with them, but in love with them and wants the three of them to be together.

In A SUITABLE CAPTIVE, Fen offers himself almost immediately to the so-called "Wild Dog", seeming to accept the idea that Lan (as he prefers to be known) might use his body in the course of that captivity. Fen is hoping for no more than that it would be a better version of the fate he had avoided by running away and accidentally getting captured in the first place. To me, it seemed fairly obvious that Lan was interested in Fen, but, without quite using this language, he was mindful of the power dynamic between them. Lan is as powerfully averse to taking advantage of Fen as he is attracted to him. Gradually, they negotiate the space between them, growing to understand each other better. Over time, that new understanding eases their communication, which in turn allows for their physical situation to become more intimate in a way that is meaningful to both of them. They built a personal ritual that is unique to them, and part took in a along established ritual from Fen's mother's people. 

Series themes include difference and belonging, found or chosen family, and obligations of care. There's a focus on communication, and the importance of paying attention to both speech and silence, of noticing when someone isn't all right. 

Fae heritage is used metaphorically for a blend of real-world characteristics for which people are often marginalized, but as a fantasy analogue it carries very little of the baggage which would accompany its realistic counterparts. As with any marginalization, the fae-touched protagonists have different reactions to their various levels of fae heritage. This heritage manifests unevenly, giving them smaller-than-human-average stature, but also some... flashier differences, such as hair which moves of its own whim and eyes which rapidly change color. Their fae-touched natures were a very minor detail for Mattin in A SUITABLE CONSORT, but a very important part of A SUITABLE CAPTIVE and A SUITABLE STRAY. Tiiran hates the fae, loudly saying "Fuck the Fae" if anyone mentions them positively. He views them as child-abandoners, passive observers of the world's injustices when they have the power and responsibility to do much more than just intervene in politics and sire random children. 

Normally, when looking at individual books in a series, I note whether they leave something for later books to pick up. This is an odd case where the first book left space for stories set before and after it. It builds the impression that this is a place with a history, and bits of that history are being fleshed out a little at a time through these romances. The most shocking moment for me was getting to the epilogue of A SUITABLE CAPTIVE and realizing when it was set in relation to A SUITABLE CONSORT. Having looked at R. Cooper's website, I don't think that is a spoiler, precisely, but it is the kind of detail I enjoyed realizing in the moment. 

The series is ongoing, with a novella releasing this very month. I don't know how many books are planned, and I don't think it matters, not to me as a reader. These books are a delight, and I will read as many of them as R. Cooper writes. The open structure distributes the narrative weight until there's a lot of room for more stories to fill the vacant space. A palace has a great many people in it, with the whole country being larger still, which would allow for many books taking place even before the timeline is considered. The earliest book so far takes place several hundred years before the events of A SUITABLE CONSORT, and there have been several mentions of when the old queen was deposed. That might not be an ideal setting for a romance, but this series is no stranger to love amidst tragedy. 

• One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny
• The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner 

Major Series CWs: sexual content, violence, war, death.

Miscellaneous CWs: classism, physical abuse, alcohol, murder.

Each book has specific content warnings provided by the author near the copyright info. 

Bookshop Affiliate Buy Links:

• A SUITABLE CONSORT (For the King and His Husband)
• A SUITABLE BODYGUARD
• A SUITABLE CAPTIVE
• A SUITABLE STRAY (For an Outguard and an Assistant) 
• A SUITABLE BRAT (link forthcoming)

Fantastic Fiction Author Page 

Author Website

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Reviews That Burn is a review blog which accompanies the Books That Burn podcast. Books That Burn is a member of the Certain Point of View podcast network. Essays, blog posts, and reviews are by Robin. All music was composed by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org.

Full Text Here 

This series is sexually explicit, and the review contains low-detail descriptions of sexual content. It is not safe for work (NSFW) in the classic sense. While I can, and have, reviewed sexually explicit books without the review containing those details, it forms such a large part of the narrative in this trilogy that to elide over those concepts would be to give a false impression of the text.

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Reviews That Burn is a review blog which accompanies the Books That Burn podcast. Books That Burn is a member of the Certain Point of View podcast network. Essays, blog posts, and reviews are by Robin. All music was composed by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org.

Full Text Here 

I have a few updates for everyone! They're all good things and have been a long time coming.

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Reviews That Burn is a review blog which accompanies the Books That Burn podcast. Books That Burn is a member of the Certain Point of View podcast network. Essays, blog posts, and reviews are by Robin. All music was composed by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org.

I've joined the Creator Accountability Network (CAN) as a provisionally credentialed creator! The provisional period is three months long, and at the end of that time I'll be fully credentialed if nothing disqualifying comes to light. 

Full Text Here

I'll be excerpting details from their website as the best way to explain what this is and what it means for me as a content creator and for you as readers and audience members. The short version is that I've undergone ethics training as part of the credentialing process, and that if you feel my actions have harmed you (now or in the future), you can report harassment, abuse, or other harm to CAN. Quotes in the rest of this post are from CAN's website as of August 16th, 2025.

This episode discusses The Kingston Cycle by C. L. Polk. 

Full Text Here 

 In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own. Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is. When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.

PUBLISHER: Tor Books LENGTH: ~975 pages (~32 hours) across three books AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly

TITLES DISCUSSED

• Witchmark (2018)
• Stormsong (2020)
• Soulstar (2021)

I have previously reviewed all three books in the trilogy: Witchmark, Stormsong, Soulstar 

• A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
• Blind Man's Wolf by Amelia Faulkner
• Death by Silver by Amy Griswold and Melissa Scott

More by C. L. Polk

• The Midnight Bargain
• Even Though I Knew The End 

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Major Series CWs: confinement, kidnapping, racism, classism, fire/fire injury, mental illness, violence, gun violence, medical content, body horror, slavery, murder, death.

Miscellaneous CWs: coercion, drug use, suicide, torture.

Bookshop Affiliate Buy Links:

• Witchmark
• Stormsong
• Soulstar
• Kingston Cycle eBook  

Fantastic Fiction Author Page 

C. L. Polk's Website

Full Text Here

Teeth: The Complete Meal by Chele Cooke

TEETH: The First Bite

Being dead just got complicated.

 Spencer’s life began after his death. Being a vampire is better than any teen flick made it out to be. After all, what’s not to like? He’s stronger, faster, and deadlier than any predator. He has a job, a home, and he’ll be young and pretty forever. When Thomas wakes up in the throes of transitioning, Spencer is assigned to train the newly sired vampire. He thinks it’ll be fun, but it could turn the afterlife upside down for everyone, even the people Spencer didn’t know existed. Spencer is about to learn that the rules he has been abiding by since his death are all lies. And he must help Thomas adjust to his new life before they are turned from predator to prey.

PUBLISHER: Independently Published LENGTH: ~800 pages across a trilogy and a short story collection AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly

Queer Rep Summary: Gay/Achillean Main Character(s), Bi/Pan Main Character(s).

TITLES DISCUSSED

• TEETH: The First Bite (2014)
• MEAT: The Second Serving (2017)
• BLOOD: The Third Course (2018)
• TURN: Three Short Sirings (2018) 

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Bookshop Affiliate Buy Links:

• TEETH
• TURN

Indie Story Geek Pages:

• TEETH: The Complete Meal

Full Text Here

Eugenides, the queen’s thief, can steal anything—or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king’s magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he’s in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own.

PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books LENGTH: 300 to 450 pages per book, there are six books as of spring 2025 AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Romance RECOMMENDED: Highly

Queer Rep Summary: Gay/Achillean Secondary Character(s).

TITLES IN SERIES

• The Thief (1996)

• The Queen of Attolia (2000)

• The King of Attolia (2006)

• A Conspiracy of Kings (2010)

• Thick as Thieves (2017)

• Return of the Thief (2020)

• Moira's Pen (2022)

I'd like to thank longtime Patron Case Aiken, who receives a monthly shoutout, as well as new patrons DivineJasper and Sasha Khan.

(Quotes are from Robin Buss’ English translation of Alexandre Dumas’ work.)

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Full Essay Text

Canonical Queerness in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Edmond No Longer -- The Importance of Haydée in The Count of Monte Cristo

[Full Transcript Available Here]

This is the fifth and final entry in a five-part essay series discussing two long-running book series by queer authors: October Daye by Seanan McGuire, and Inheritance by A.K. Faulkner. I chose these series because I love them both, they were intended from the start to be long series, neither of them are finished yet, and the authors have different structural approaches to developing each series across so many volumes. Purely coincidentally, they are both long-running contemporary fantasy series mainly set in California in or near the 2010's, with major characters named Quentin, and whose fast-healing protagonists have a tendency to quasi-adopt a gaggle of magical teenagers. After a brief moment in the 1990's, October Daye begins in earnest in 2009 and has reached 2015 as of the eighteenth book, while Inheritance is ambiguously set in the mid-to-late 2010's. Each of my essays focuses on a particular topic of importance to long series such as these two. They're designed to be intelligible on their own, and can theoretically be read in any order, but most readers will have the best experience if they start with the first essay and proceed linearly.

• Introduction (1:38)
• Episodic Series (4:02)
• Linear Storytelling (5:59)
• Periodic Onboarding (6:39)
• What's a Reader To Do? (7:50)
  • Five or Fewer (9:11)
  • Six or More (12:01)
• Conclusion (14:24)

As a reviewer of books, I'm very concerned with the news and societal reception of the resource-guzzling plagiarism machine, especially when Indie authors are among those most immediately harmed by having their work stolen and struggling to stand out in a sea of AI-generated slush flooding the ebook market. While I understand that there are useful versions of AI which aren't used to push out garbage no one actually wants to read, the existence of that particular firehose does need to be addressed.

With that out of the way, please enjoy my reading of two essays about generative AI.

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The Problem Is Not That You Want What Generative AI Promised, The Problem Is That They Lied About Whether It Could Deliver (01:14) [Link to Full Text]

A Reflection on Path-Dependent Processes (07:26) [Link to Full Text]

[Full Text Available Here]

This is the fourth in a five-part essay series discussing two long-running book series by queer authors: October Daye by Seanan McGuire, and Inheritance by A.K. Faulkner. I chose these series because I love them both, they were intended from the start to be long series, neither of them are finished yet, and the authors have different structural approaches to developing each series across so many volumes. Purely coincidentally, they are both long-running contemporary fantasy series mainly set in California in or near the 2010's, with major characters named Quentin, and whose fast-healing protagonists have a tendency to quasi-adopt a gaggle of magical teenagers. After a brief moment in the 1990's, October Daye begins in earnest in 2009 and has reached 2015 as of the eighteenth book, while Inheritance is ambiguously set in the mid-to-late 2010's. Each of my essays focuses on a particular topic of importance to long series such as these two. They're designed to be intelligible on their own, and can theoretically be read in any order, but most readers will have the best experience if they start with the first essay and proceed linearly.

This essay spoils major elements of the first ten books of the Inheritance series by A.K. Faulkner, and of the first sixteen books in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire. It discusses themes of murder and death, as well as fictional depictions of kidnapping, rape, torture, and abuse/murder of children. 

• Introduction (01:58)
• Still Terrible: Countess Evening Winterrose (04:41)
• Logistically Important: Hieronymus D'Arcy, Duke of Oxford (07:48)
• Staying in the Middle: Frederick D'Arcy (12:38)
• Stuck in the Middle: Simon Torquill (16:41)
• Redemption Arc: Simon Lorden (19:49)
• What's Next? (23:43)
• Coda: Freddy and Simon (24:37)

[Full Text Available Here]

This is the third in a five-part essay series discussing two long-running book series by queer authors: October Daye by Seanan McGuire, and Inheritance by A.K. Faulkner. I chose these series because I love them both, they were intended from the start to be long series, neither of them are finished yet, and the authors have different structural approaches to developing each series across so many volumes. Purely coincidentally, they are both long-running contemporary fantasy series mainly set in California in or near the 2010's, with major characters named Quentin, and whose fast-healing protagonists have a tendency to quasi-adopt a gaggle of magical teenagers. After a brief moment in the 1990's, October Daye begins in earnest in 2009 and has reached 2015 as of the eighteenth book, while Inheritance is ambiguously set in the mid-to-late 2010's. Each of my essays focuses on a particular topic of importance to long series such as these two. They're designed to be intelligible on their own, and can theoretically be read in any order, but most readers will have the best experience if they start with the first essay and proceed linearly.

This essay spoils major elements of the first six books of the Inheritance series by A.K. Faulkner, as well as scattered revelations and major spoilers from the first twelve books in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire. This is a discussion of lies, delusions, and the mistakes they create, and some take longer to dispel than others. It touches briefly on themes of murder and death, as well as alluding to fictional depictions of kidnapping, torture, and abuse of children. 

• Introduction (1:54)
• Who Tells The Story (3:36)
• Perspectives in October Daye (5:08)
• Perspectives in Inheritance (7:07)
• Lies in October Daye (8:36)
• Lies in Inheritance (11:50)
• Delusions in October Daye (13:38)
• Delusions in Inheritance (15:45)
• Conclusion (18:21)

[Full Text Available Here]

This is the second in a five-part essay series discussing two long-running book series by queer authors: October Daye by Seanan McGuire, and Inheritance by A.K. Faulkner. I chose these series because I love them both, they were intended from the start to be long series, neither of them are finished yet, and the authors have different structural approaches to developing each series across so many volumes. Purely coincidentally, they are both long-running contemporary fantasy series mainly set in California in or near the 2010's, with major characters named Quentin, and whose fast-healing protagonists have a tendency to quasi-adopt a gaggle of magical teenagers. After a brief moment in the 1990's, October Daye begins in earnest in 2009 and has reached 2015 as of the eighteenth book, while Inheritance is ambiguously set in the mid-to-late 2010's. Each of my essays focuses on a particular topic of importance to long series such as these two. They're designed to be intelligible on their own, and can theoretically be read in any order, but most readers will have the best experience if they start with the first essay and proceed linearly.

This essay spoils major elements of the first ten books of the Inheritance series by A.K. Faulkner, as well as the first six books in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, while lightly discussing some spoilers from later books in that series. It touches briefly on themes of murder and death, as well as alluding to fictional depictions of kidnapping, torture, and harm to children. 

• What Is a Monster of the Week? (02:48)
• Monsters in Inheritance (05:52)
• Monsters in October Daye (14:30)
• Series Arcs (18:05)
• Arc Structure and October Daye (19:28)
• Seasons in Inheritance (29:51)
• A Balancing Act (34:31)

[Full Transcript Available Here]

This is the first in a five-part essay series discussing two long-running book series by queer authors: October Daye by Seanan McGuire, and Inheritance by A.K. Faulkner. I chose these series because I love them both, they were intended from the start to be long series, neither of them are finished yet, and the authors have different structural approaches to developing each series across so many volumes. Purely coincidentally, they are both long-running contemporary fantasy series mainly set in California in or near the 2010's, with major characters named Quentin, and whose fast-healing protagonists have a tendency to quasi-adopt a gaggle of magical teenagers. After a brief moment in the 1990's, October Daye begins in earnest in 2009 and has reached 2015 as of the eighteenth book, while Inheritance is ambiguously set in the mid-to-late 2010's. Each of my essays focuses on a particular topic of importance to long series. They're designed to be intelligible on their own, and can theoretically be read in any order, but most readers will have the best experience if they start with the first essay and proceed linearly.

This essay spoils major elements of the following books: ROSEMARY AND RUE by Seanan McGuire and JACK OF THORNS by A.K. Faulkner, as well as lightly discussing some spoilers from later books in their respective series. 

• 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.

Link to the full Essay.

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)

This contains major spoilers for “The Hunger Games”, “Catching Fire”, “Mockingjay”, and “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, all by Suzanne Collins.

Link to the full essay text.

-----

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. 

Full Essay Text at link.

Full Episode Text on Reviews That Burn

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.

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. 

Please refer to the link for the full essay.

*This essay spoils major elements of NIGHT SHINE and MOON DARK SMILE by Tessa Gratton.

The written version of this essay can be found at the link.

Link to the original essay.

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)

-----

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 - Alexithymia

Wikipedia - Philosophical Zombie

Wikipedia - Masking

In Defence of De-persons by Johanna Hedva

The Ten Stages of Genocide

-----

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.

• PUBLISHER: HarperAudio

• YEAR: 2013

• LENGTH: 368 pages (12 hours 7 minutes)

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy, Historical

• RECOMMENDED: Yes

Topic 1: Murder. Begins at (1:35), CW for stalking, murder, death.

Topic 2: Overdose. Begins at (11:18), CW for overdose, death.

Topic 3: Stalking. Begins at (20:02), CW for stalking.

Promo for CPOV Fun and Games; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (33:27).

Book TW for drug use, drug abuse, excrement (brief), blood, abortion (backstory), body shaming, child abuse (backstory), medical content, child death, suicide attempt (brief mention), suicide (backstory), death.

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Topic 1: Dehumanization. Begins at (1:35), CW for ableism, colorism, colonization, child abuse, medical content, body horror, war, slavery, child death, death.

Topic 2: Generational Trauma. Begins at (25:29), CW for PTSD, emotional abuse, physical abuse, child abuse, war, death.

Promo for CPOV Circle of Friendship; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (45:08).

Book TW for body horror, xenophobia, colonization, bullying, confinement (graphic), drug use, drug abuse, gun violence (graphic), violence (graphic), murder, war (graphic), suicide, child soldiers (graphic), child abuse (graphic), emotional abuse (graphic), physical abuse (graphic), infertility, torture (graphic), injury detail, slavery, parental death (graphic), child death (graphic), death (graphic).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• PUBLISHER:  Simon & Schuster

• YEAR: 1999

• LENGTH: 617 pages (19 hours 29 minutes)

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Thriller

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Brain Damage. Begins at (1:35), CW for violence, car accident, medical trauma, child abuse, murder, child death, death.

Topic 2: Sexual Abuse. Begins at (24:12), CW for child abuse, sexual abuse, rape, murder, child death, death.

Promo for CPOV - RMC vs CG ; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (47:37).

Book TW for sexual content, cursing (graphic), ableism, mental illness, homophobia (brief), homophobic slurs (brief), sexism, misogyny, fatphobia (brief), bullying (graphic), drug use (smoking), kidnapping (graphic), confinement, child abuse (graphic), sexual harassment (graphic), sexual assault (threatened), rape (backstory), adult/minor relationship (backstory, non-consensual), vomit (graphic), blood (graphic), gore (graphic), violence (graphic), gun violence (graphic), medical content (graphic), murder (graphic), child death (graphic), death (graphic).

---

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Join the CPOV Discord Server!

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

(Part Two will release on July 31st, 2023)

• PUBLISHER:  Simon & Schuster
• YEAR: 1999
• LENGTH: 617 pages (19 hours 29 minutes)
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Thriller
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Self-Isolation. Begins at (1:30), CW for isolation, child abuse, murder, death.

Topic 2: Loss of Control. Begins at (20:20), CW for child abuse, murder, death.

Promo for Robcast; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (37:27).

Book TW for sexual content, cursing (graphic), ableism, mental illness, homophobia (brief), homophobic slurs (brief), sexism, misogyny, fatphobia (brief), bullying (graphic), drug use (smoking), kidnapping (graphic), confinement, child abuse (graphic), sexual harassment (graphic), sexual assault (threatened), rape (backstory), adult/minor relationship (backstory, non-consensual), vomit (graphic), blood (graphic), gore (graphic), violence (graphic), gun violence (graphic), medical content (graphic), murder (graphic), child death (graphic), death (graphic).

---

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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. 

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Join the CPOV Discord Server!

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• PUBLISHER: Tor Books

• YEAR: 2022

• LENGTH: 544 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Social Isolation. Begins at (1:35), CW for homophobia, ableism, classism.

Topic 2: Intimate Partner Violence. Begins at (18:06), CW for sexism, misogyny, rape, suicide attempt.

Promo for Comics Quest; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (35:57).

Book TW for grief (graphic), sexual content (explicit), xenophobia, cursing, ableism, homophobia (graphic), transphobia (brief mention), misgendering, infidelity, pregnancy (brief mention), miscarriage (backstory), bullying (backstory), child abuse (backstory), panic attacks/disorders (graphic), kidnapping, confinement, alcohol (brief), alcoholism (backstory), vomit (graphic), blood (graphic), gore, violence (graphic), fire/fire injury, injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, sexual assault (graphic), sexual violence (graphic), rape (graphic), self harm (graphic), suicidal thoughts (graphic), torture (brief mention), murder (graphic), animal death (graphic), parental death (graphic), death (graphic).

---

This episode features a book with fictional depictions of self harm and attempted 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.

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• PUBLISHER: Listening Library

• YEAR: 2005

• LENGTH: 501 pages (15 hours 32 minutes)

• AGE: Young Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Colonization. Begins at (1:35), CW for colonization, slavery, war.

Topic 2: Classism. Begins at (18:25), CW for classism, ableism.

Topic 3: Torture. Begins at (39:19), CW for torture, deadnaming, slavery, colonization, war.

Promo for CPOV Men of Steel; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (58:36).

Book TWs: Graphic/Explicit CW for classism. Moderate CW for cursing, confinement, violence, police brutality, torture, slavery, war, colonization, murder, suicide, child death, death. Minor CW for ableism, fatphobia, xenophobia, sexism, misogyny, kidnapping, fire, rape.

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• PUBLISHER: Del Rey

• YEAR: 2020

• LENGTH: 320 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy, Historical, Horror

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Torture. Begins at (1:35), CW for torture, confinement.

Topic 2: Incest. Begins at (11:38), CW for coercion, cannibalism, incest, death.

Topic 3: Eugenics. Begins at (22:45), CW for incest, racism, eugenics, colonization, miscarriage, child death, murder, death.

Promo for CPOV Autographs; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (41:04).

Book TW for sexual content, sexism, racism, eugenics, pregnancy, miscarriage (backstory), gaslighting (graphic), drug use, alcohol, alcoholism (backstory), confinement, mental illness, suicide (not depicted), fire/fire injury, vomit (brief), blood, gore, violence, gun violence, injury detail, body horror (graphic), sexual assault, rape, self harm (brief), medical content, incest, cannibalism, child death, suicide, murder, animal death (not depicted), death.

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• PUBLISHER: Saga Press

• YEAR: 2015

• LENGTH: 640 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Topic 1: Intimidation/Murder. Begins at (1:35), CW for poison, injury detail, torture, suicide, murder, animal death.

Topic 2: Sexism. Begins at (18:25), CW for sexism, rape.

Topic 3: Slavery. Begins at (33:22), CW for slavery, murder.

Promo for Another Pass; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (42:52).

Book TW for sexism, misogyny, pregnancy, excrement, blood (graphic), gore (graphic), violence (graphic), fire/fire injury, genocide, suicide, torture, self harm, child abuse (graphic), animal cruelty, cannibalism, murder, child death, death (graphic).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• 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).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• 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.

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• 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.

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• PUBLISHER: Orbit
• YEAR: 2019
• LENGTH: 400 pages
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy, Mystery
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Members of theCertain Point of View network of podcasts.

• 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).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• 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).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• 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).

---

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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.

• 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).

---

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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.

• 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.

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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.

---

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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.

• 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).

---

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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.

• TITLE: The Song of Achilles
• AUTHOR: Madeline Miller
• PUBLISHER: Ecco Press / Bloomsbury Publishing
• YEAR: 2011
• LENGTH: 416 pages
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy, Historical
• RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for sexism, homophobia, possible biphobia, grief (graphic), kidnapping, confinement, terminal illness, slavery, vomit, blood (graphic), gore (graphic), sexual content, medical content, domestic abuse, rape, cannibalism (backstory), animal death, murder, child death (graphic), major character death (graphic), death (graphic).

Topic 1: Exile. Begins at (1:35), CW for violence, death, murder.

Topic 2: Hovering Shade. Begins at (13:30), CW for homophobia, death.

Topic 3: Rape. Begins at (30:05), CW for rape, slavery.

Promo for Circle of Friendship from CPOV; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (55:45).

---

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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.

• TITLE: The Marrow Thieves
• AUTHOR: Cherie Dimaline
• PUBLISHER: Dancing Cat Books
• YEAR: 2017
• LENGTH: 240 pages
• AGE: Young Adult
• GENRE: Speculative Fiction
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for sexual content (brief), cursing, ableist language (brief), alcohol (backstory), alcoholism (backstory), drug use (backstory), dug abuse (backstory), kidnapping (graphic), confinement (backstory), starvation (graphic), genocide (graphic), sexual assault, rape, child abuse, physical abuse, excrement (brief), vomit (brief), violence, gun violence, cannibalism, animal death, parental death (backstory), child death, murder, major character death, death.

Topic 1: Food Scarcity. Begins at (1:35), CW for food scarcity,

Topic 2: PTSD. Begins at (10:37), CW for ptsd, food scarcity.

Topic 3: Cannibalism. Begins at (21:45), CW for cannibalism, murder, death.

Promo for CPOV Autographs; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (32:12).

---

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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.

Apologies for the odd episode schedule, the next two episodes will be a month apart, then we should be back to our usual fortnightly schedule after that.

• TITLE: The Atrocities

• AUTHOR: Jeremy C. Shipp

• PUBLISHER: St. Martins Press-3PL

• YEAR: 2018

• LENGTH: 112 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Horror

• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for child abuse (backstory), mental illness, medical content, medical trauma, child abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, body horror, gore, self harm, animal death, animal cruelty (backstory), child death, death.

Topic 1: Mental Illness. Begins at (1:35), CW for mental illness, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child death, death.

Topic 2: Kidnapping. Begins at (15:00), CW for kidnapping, institutionalization, mental illness, child death, death.

Topic 3: Child Death. Begins at (22:25), CW for kidnapping, mental illness, child death, death.

Promo for Another Pass from CPOV; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (32:55).

---

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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.

• TITLE: Scavenge The Stars

• AUTHOR: Tara Sim

• PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion

• YEAR: 2020

• LENGTH: 352 pages

• AGE: Young Adult

• GENRE: Fantasy, Retelling

• RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for grief, ableist language (brief), kidnapping (graphic), alcohol (graphic), gambling addiction (graphic), drug use, child abuse, slavery, terminal illness, medical content, excrement, vomit, blood (graphic), gore, violence (graphic), gun violence, child death (graphic), parental death, murder (graphic), death (graphic).

Topic 1: Debt Slavery. Begins at (1:35), CW for child abuse, slavery, death.

Topic 2: Betrayal. Begins at (13:10), CW for betrayal, terminal illness, death.

Promo for CPOV Autographs; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (27:36).

---

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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.

• TITLE: The Forever War

• AUTHOR: Joe Haldeman

• PUBLISHER: Gollancz

• YEAR: 1974

• LENGTH: 238 pages

• AGE: Adult

• GENRE: Science Fiction, War

• RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for cursing, grief, xenophobia, chemical control of sexual orientation (nonconsensual), homophobia, acephobia (ambiguous), ableism, mental illness, sexual content, sexual assault (not depicted), rape (brief), medical content (graphic), medical trauma (graphic), alcohol, drug use, vomit, blood, gore, violence, gun violence, eugenics, genocide, torture (brief), suicidal thoughts (brief), animal death (brief), murder, parental death, death.

Topic 1: Compulsory Homosexuality. Begins at (1:35), CW for homophobia, conversion therapy, compulsive sexuality, war, death.

Topic 2: Suicidal Thoughts. Begins at (14:42), CW for suicidal thoughts, war, death.

Topic 3: Future Shock. Begins at (22:58), CW for homophobia, war, death.

Promo for CPOV - Men of Steel; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (35:42).

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This episode mentions suicidal thoughts in fiction. 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 maybe able to find the suicide hotline number or other appropriate emergency services for your country inthis directory provided by OpenCounseling.

---

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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.

• TITLE: Jade City
• AUTHOR: Fonda Lee
• PUBLISHER: Orbit
• YEAR: 2017
• LENGTH: 560 pages
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy, War
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for cursing, grief, sexual content (explicit), sexual abuse (brief mention), torture (brief mention), sexism, drug use, drug abuse, mental illness, self harm, body horror, massacre, excrement (brief), vomit, blood, violence (graphic), gun violence, torture, animal death (brief), major character death, death.

Topic 1: Sexual Abuse. Begins at (1:30), CW for sexual abuse (not described).

Topic 2: Parental death. Begins at (15:00), CW for addiction, parental death, death.

Topic 3: Addiction. Begins at (22:30), CW for addiction, gun violence, death.

Promo for CPOV SMC; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (32:50).

---

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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.

• TITLE: Firebreak
• AUTHOR: Nicole Kornher-Stace
• PUBLISHER: Gallery / Saga Press (Imprint of Simon & Schuster)
• YEAR: 2021
• LENGTH: 416 pages
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Science Fiction, Dystopian
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for rationing, confinement, cursing, alcohol, excrement (brief), blood, gore, fire/fire injury (graphic), medical content (graphic), medical trauma (graphic), gun violence (graphic), violence (graphic), child abuse (backstory), police brutality (graphic), torture (graphic), parental death (backstory), child death, major character death, death.

Topic 1: B - Kidnapping. Begins at (1:30), CW for kidnapping, death.

Topic 2: Mal - Dehydration. Begins at (9:55), CW for death, dehydration.

Topic 3: 22 - Medical Experimentation. Begins at (20:25), CW for medical trauma, violence, child abuse, child death, death.

Promo for Men of Steel; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (30:14).

---

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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.

We discussed this Batman novel as part of #DarkKnightFortnight from Certain POV. You can find all the Certain POV shows which participated on this page.

• TITLE: Batman: Nightwalker
• AUTHOR: Marie Lu
• PUBLISHER: Random House Books for Young Readers
• YEAR: 2018
• LENGTH: 288 pages
• AGE: Young Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy
• RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for blood (graphic), fire (backstory), domestic abuse (not depicted), violence (graphic), gun violence (graphic), sexual content (not depicted), sexual harassment, car accident (graphic), parental death (not depicted), suicide (not depicted), murder, death.

Topic 1: Richard - Emotional Abuse. Begins at (1:30), CW for emotional abuse, death of parent.

Topic 2: Cameron - Medical Trauma. Begins at (13:46), CW for medical trauma, murder, death.

Topic 3: Bruce and Madeleine - Death of Parent. Begins at (25:06), CW for violence, murder, death of parent, death.

Promo for CPOV - RobCast; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (36:09).

---

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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.

• TITLE: Cemetery Boys
• AUTHOR: Aiden Thomas
• PUBLISHER: Swoon Reads
• YEAR: 2020
• LENGTH: 344 pages
• AGE: Young Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy, Romance
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for cursing, ableist language (brief), grief, racism (brief), transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, alcohol (brief), blood, self harm (brief, religious ritual), domestic abuse (backstory), child abuse (backstory), gore (brief), violence (graphic), medical content, parental death (backstory), murder, major character death (graphic), death (graphic).

Topic 1: Child Abuse. Begins at (1:35), CW for child abuse, physical abuse, fire/fire injury (burns).

Topic 2: Transphobia. Begins at (11:00), CW for sexism, misogyny, transphobia, deadnaming, misgendering

Topic 3: Murder. Begins at (21:30), CW for murder, blood, death.

Promo for Farragut Forward IndieGoGo; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (32:00).

---

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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.

• TITLE: River of Teeth
• AUTHOR: Sarah Gailey
• PUBLISHER: Tor/Forge Books
• YEAR: 2017
• LENGTH: 192 pages
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy, Alternate History
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for racism (minor), fatphobia, transphobia (minor), pregnancy, drug use (smoking), alcohol, fire/fire injury, blood (graphic), gore, violence (graphic), medical content, animal death, child death, murder, major character death, death (graphic).

Topic 1: Child Death. Begins at (1:30), CW for child death, animal death.

Topic 2: Betrayal. Begins at (14:32), CW for death.

Topic 3: Mutilation. Begins at (25:36), CW for mutilation, addiction, child death, death.

Promo for CPOV Circle of Friendship; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (36:22).

---

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You can check out Robin's written review of RIVER OF TEETH at Reviews That Burn. They also reviewed AMERICAN HIPPO.

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.

• TITLE: Assassin's Apprentice
• AUTHOR: Robin Hobb
• PUBLISHER: Voyager
• YEAR: 1995
• LENGTH: 460 pages
• AGE: Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for cursing, pregnancy, ableism, sexism, misogyny, bullying (graphic), physical abuse (graphic), emotional abuse (graphic), alcohol, alcoholism, excrement, drug use, miscarriage (backstory), rape (not depicted), child abuse, blood (graphic), violence (graphic), medical content (graphic), animal death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, child death, death.

Topic 1: Patience - Betrayal. Begins at (1:35), CW for infidelity, betrayal, parental death, death.

Topic 2: Burrich - Child Abuse. Begins at (11:20), CW for abuse, animal death.

Topic 3: Galen - Emotional Abuse. Begins at (22:15), CW for suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt.

Promo for Screen Snark; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (30:15).

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This episode briefly 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 in this 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.

Wu Zetian wants to assassinate her sister's murderer, but finds herself in a string of mech battles working alongside Li Shimin, the strongest pilot in Huaxia. Told in Third Person with Single POV.

• TITLE: Iron Widow
• AUTHOR: Xiran Jay Zhao
• PUBLISHER: Penguin Teen
• YEAR: 2021
• LENGTH: 400 pages
• AGE: Young Adult
• GENRE: Science Fiction
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for grief, misogyny (graphic), sexual content, alcohol, alcoholism (graphic), medical content, injury description, pregnancy (backstory), blood (graphic), vomit, suicidal thoughts, domestic abuse, child abuse, violence (graphic), torture (graphic), murder (graphic), parental death (backstory), major character death (graphic), death (graphic).

Topic 1: Forced Alcoholism. Begins at (1:35), CW for alcoholism, torture, death.

Topic 2: Death Machine. Begins at (10:00), CW for sexism, misogyny, death.

Topic 3: Invasion. Begins at (21:15), CW for death.

Promo for RMC vs CG; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (31:25).

---

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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.

Become a Patron at any level to receive the spoiler-filled second half of the interview.

• Intro (0:00)
• Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (0:20)
• Has a traumatic event in your books ever changed your perception of a character? (3:00)
• What parts of your identities do you notice making appearances in your writing more than you intended? What parts of your identities do you notice seeping into your work unintentionally? (6:20)
• What is your approach to incorporating visible queerness in your work? (10:05)
• How does setting influence queerness in your stories? (12:40)
• What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? (16:25)
• Do you tend to write disabilities based on a specific set of references or do you tend to write cultures that hide disabilities and all that they entail? (22:00)
• When building your characters’ identities, what aspects did you intentionally include? (25:00)
• Do you consider your character’s physical description when writing how other characters treat them? (26:20)

--- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 ---

• What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (29:57)
• Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (31:46)
• Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shoutout? (32:49)
• Where can our audience find you? (36:15)

---

Check out Seanan's website for more about her writing. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. 

---

At each link you can find Robin's written reviews of Seanan's work under her own name, her writings as Mira Grant, and as A. Deborah Baker.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

• TITLE: Wayward Witch
• AUTHOR: Zoraida Córdova
• PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
• YEAR: 2020
• LENGTH: 239 pages
• AGE: Young Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for kidnapping, confinement, emotional abuse, animal death (not depicted), excrement (brief), vomit, blood, gore, body horror, violence, major character death, death.

Topic 1: Nadira - Deadly Journey. Begins at (0:55), CW for death.

Topic 2: Rose - Memory Loss. Begins at (13:30), CW for memory loss, abandonment.

Topic 3: Rose - Abandonment. Begins at (27:05), CW for memory loss, abandonment, parental death, death.

Promo for CPOV Reignite; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (41:00).

---

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.

TITLE: Bruja Born AUTHOR: Zoraida Córdova PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire YEAR: 2018 LENGTH: 352 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for ableist language, vomit (graphic), fire, blood (graphic), gore (graphic), violence (graphic), pregnancy (not depicted), medical content, medical trauma (graphic), cannibalism, child death, death.

Topic 1: Casimuertos - Cannibalism. Begins at (0:50), CW for Cannibalism, undead, self-aware zombies

Topic 2: Lula - Survivor’s Guilt. Begins at (9:30), CW for death, bus crash.

Topic 3: Lula - Life Drain. Begins at (22:45), CW for mention of gore, death.

Promo for Fun and Games (CPOV); Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (35:57).

---

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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.

TITLE: Labyrinth Lost AUTHOR: Zoraida Córdova PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire YEAR: 2016 LENGTH: 336 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for bullying, child abuse (backstory), blood, violence, panic attacks, missing parent, animal death, death.

Topic 1: Kidnapping. Begins at (1:35), CW for mention of torture, betrayal

Topic 2: Family Rejection. Begins at (11:00), CW for abandonment, mention of drug use. 

Topic 3: Misplaced guilt. Begins at (23:00), CW for missing parent, discussion of divorce, discussion of death.

Promo for ComicsQuest from CPOV; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (32:40). 

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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.

TITLE: Graceling AUTHOR: Kristin Cashore PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin YEAR: 2008 LENGTH: 471 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Romance RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for sexism, misogyny, sexual content (brief), sexual assault (not depicted), kidnapping, child abuse, animal cruelty, medical content, blood, vomit, violence, torture, animal death, parental death, child death, murder (graphic), death (graphic).

Topic 1: Leck - Gaslighting. Begins at (1:35), CW for Murder, torture, animal cruelty, death

Topic 2: Katsa - Coercion. Begins at (13:00), CW for Violence, death, coercion

Topic 3: Bitterblue - Death of Parent. Begins at (22:10), CW for Murder, death of parent, child abuse

Promo for CPOV - Another Pass; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (29:15).

---

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

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

In THIRSTY, everyone sucks. Suddenly learning you're a vampire doomed to brief madness before death or (best case scenario) a long life of cannibalism will ruin anyone's day. Looks like it's going to ruin Chris's month.

TITLE: Thirsty AUTHOR: M.T. Anderson PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press (MA) YEAR: 1997 LENGTH: 237 pages AGE: Young Adult, Middle Grade GENRE: Fantasy, Horror RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for queerphobia (brief), ableist language, misogyny, bullying, anxiety, mental illness, stalking, vomit (graphic), self harm (graphic), gore (graphic), blood (graphic), violence, cannibalism, animal death, lynching, murder, child death, major character death, death.

Topic 1: Child Death. Begins at (1:30), CW for Murder, child murder, ritual human sacrifice.

Topic 2: Bullying. Begins at (16:10), CW for Bullying, child death, murder.

Topic 3: Cognitive deterioration. Begins at (29:00), CW for ableism, self-harm, auto-cannibalism, cognitive deterioration, suicide mention, murder, suicide by cop, mention of lynching.

Promo for Crit Chat; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (41:00).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

UNWIND is a dystopian future where abortion is outlawed but teenagers can be "unwound", a state which is distinct from death in ways that are legalistic, technical, and horrifying.

TITLE: Unwind AUTHOR: Neal Shusterman PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers YEAR: 2007 LENGTH: 335 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Dystopian, Science Fiction RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for discussion of abortion, discussion of “retroactive abortions”, discussion of “right to life”

Topic 1: Vestigial Existence. Begins at (1:30), CW for Death, loss of self, dismemberment, body horror, medical content

Topic 2: Split identity. Begins at (11:35), CW for Death, loss of self, dismemberment, body horror, medical content, loss of control over body

Topic 3: Dismemberment. Begins at (23:58), CW for Death, dismemberment, mention of abortion, medical trauma

Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (39:45).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• Intro (0:00)
• Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (0:55)
• Do you put more thought into the trauma itself or the aftermath when thinking about how it affects the characters? (6:50)
• Have you ever started writing a trauma in (one of) your book(s), and had it take over or have more of a story impact than originally intended? (10:30)
• What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? (24:12)
• What is your approach to incorporating characters with disabilities in your work? (37:45)

--- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 ---

• What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (42:35)
• Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (45:41)
• Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shoutout? (47:40)
• Where can our audience find you? (49:55)

---

Kevin's LinkTree has all his links. Check out Kevin's website for more about his writing, you can also find him on his NineStar Press page. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, or look up his author page on Goodreads. Our Australian audience can find his work on BookTopia.

The major works discussed in this interview are "Social Media Central", "Midnight Angel", and "Winter Masquerade".

---

You can find Robin's written reviews of Social Media Central, Midnight Angel, and Winter Masquerade at Reviews that Burn.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

TITLE: Early Departures  AUTHOR: Justin A. Reynolds PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 480 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Science Fiction RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for ableist language (brief), toxic relationship, grief, vomit, pregnancy, drowning, car accident, parental death, major character death, death.

Topic 1: Toxic Relationship. Begins at (1:35), CW for Toxic relationships.

Topic 2: Abandonment. Begins at (13:10), CW for Parental death, death, abandonment.

Topic 3: Death. Begins at (22:05), CW for Parental death, death.

Promo for Half Damage by Crit Chat; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (33:00).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Book TW for physical assault, sexual harassment, combat wounds, PTSD, magical attack, horror monster attacks, identity crisis, depiction of mental illness caused by magic, depiction of auditory hallucinations, kidnapping and restraint, misandry, misogamy, betrayal, depiction of hanging, general physical violence and death, general depictions of emotional manipulation and emotional abuse, depictions of discrimination against marginalized communities, descriptions of imbalanced power dynamics.

Topic 1: Aram - Abandonment. Begins at (1:30), CW for abandonment, parental death.

Topic 2: Min - Second-hand emotional trauma. Begins at (12:10), CW for physical harm, reliving trauma.

Topic 3: Author's treatment of characters. Begins at (20:30), No major CWs.

Promo for Circle of Friendship; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (36:50).

---

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

TITLE: Bridge to Terabithia AUTHOR: Katherine Paterson PUBLISHER: HarperCollins YEAR: 1977 LENGTH: 192 pages AGE: Middle Grade, Young Adult GENRE: Realistic Fiction RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book CW for ableist language, bullying, homophobia (brief), fatphobia, sexism, grief, child abuse (not depicted), domestic abuse, violence, child death, major character death, death.

Topic 1: May Belle - Domestic Abuse. Begins at (1:35), CW for domestic abuse, mention of death.

Topic 2: Leslie - Misogyny. Begins at (8:15), CW for misogyny, mention of homophobia, mention of child death.

Topic 3: Jess - Survivor’s Guilt. Begins at (22:24), CW for misogyny, child death.

Promo for CPOV Autographs; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (31:16). CW for mention of homophobia.

---

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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.

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

TITLE: Not Your Sidekick AUTHOR: C.B. Lee PUBLISHER: Duet YEAR: 2016 LENGTH: 304 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Superheroes RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for ableist language (brief), vomit (brief), racism, kidnapping, violence, death (not depicted).

Topic 1: Schoolkids - Gaslighting. Begins at (1:35), CW for gaslighting, lying,

Topic 2: Abby - kidnapping. Begins at (12:40), CW for kidnapping.

Topic 3: Jess - Betrayal. Begins at (21:12), CW for brief discussion of racism.

Promo for CPOV RobCast; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (27:45).

---

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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.

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

• TITLE: The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
• AUTHOR: Maggie Tokuda-Hall
• PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press
• YEAR: 2020
• LENGTH: 368 pages
• AGE: Young Adult
• GENRE: Fantasy, Mythology
• RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for homophobia, colonialism, racism, sexual assault (not depicted), mutilation, child abuse, vomit, blood (graphic), self harm, slavery, torture (graphic), child death, murder (graphic) major character death, death (graphic).

Topic 1: Rake - Colonialism. Begins at (1:30), CW for colonialism, mention of parental death.

Topic 2: Evelyn - Sold by her parents. Begins at (7:17), CW for non-consensual marriage, colonialism, discussion of character death.

Topic 3: Flora/Florian - Mutilation. Begins at (18:41), CW for mutilation, death, description of physical wounds.

Promo for CPOV -  Men of Steel; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (28:48).

---

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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.

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Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

TITLE: Soul of the Fire AUTHOR: Terry Goodkind PUBLISHER: Tor Books YEAR: 1999 LENGTH: 788 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: High Fantasy RECOMMENDED: No

Book TW for CW for coercion, "simple native" tropes, racism, sexism (graphic), slavery (graphic), sexual assault (graphic), rape (graphic), sexual violence (graphic), assault, murder, transphobia (minor), genocide, death.

Topic 1: Gaslighting. Begins at (1:30), CW for gaslighting, genocide, sexism, toxic patriarchy, misogyny, gaslighting of the audience.

Topic 2: Slavery. Begins at (15:52), CW for slavery, reference to historical slavery (USA), slave advocating for slavery.

Topic 3: Sexual Assault / Rape Culture. Begins at (25:42), CW for rape culture, rape, women as property.

Promo for CPOV Autographs; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (37:10). CW: animal 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.

TITLE:  The Midnight Bargain AUTHOR: C.L. Polk  PUBLISHER: Erewhon YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 384 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book TW for pregnancy, vomit, death (not depicted), sexism, violence.

Topic 1: The Circle - Loss of security. Begins at (1:35), CW for misogyny.

Topic 2: Ysbeta - Allocishetnormativity. Begins at (16:00), CW for misogyny, aphobia.

Topic 3: Beatrice - Misogyny. Begins at (25:00), CW for misogyny, discussion of birth control side effects.

Promo for CPOV Saturday Morning Confidential; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (37:05).

---

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.

TITLE: Black Sun AUTHOR: Rebecca Roanhorse PUBLISHER: Gallery / Saga Press YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 464 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly

Book TW for racism, xenophobia, vomit, blood, gore, child abuse, murder, violence, suicide, major character death, death.

Topic 1: Naranpa - Coup Attempt. Begins at (1:35), CW for discussion of death, violence.

Topic 2: Okoa - Death of a Parent. Begins at (11:22), CW for death of a parent, suicide, murder.

Topic 3: Xiala - Ostracization. Begins at (19:48), CW for disability, ostracization, child abuse, dismemberment.

Promo for CPOV Screen Snark; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (27:32). CW for discussion of racism, death.

---

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

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.

Patrons at any level receive part two of this interview.

• Intro (0:00)
• Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (0:57)
• Do you feel that trauma for the sake of trauma is valid for characters to go through/be put in stories or does it always need to be plot related? (1:54)
• Have you ever started writing a trauma in one of your books, and had it take over or have more of a story impact than originally intended? (3:41)
• Do you write in trauma for background characters without planning for it to have an impact on the story, and if so does it ever leak into the story? (4:36)
• What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? What do you do to make it go beyond social coding (or not)? (7:23)
• Do you tend to write characters with a specific orientation? Do you generally stick to depictions of queerness which match parts of your identity? (10:12)
• What (if any) do you think is a good example of queer culture in your books? (13:03)
• Have you ever had a character surprise you with a disability after you started writing? (15:42)
• Do you consider your character’s physical description when writing how other characters treat them? (18:32)
• How does setting influence culture in your series? What (if any) do you think is a good example of a marginalized culture in your writing? (20:38)
• For our audience at home, please discuss how and whether you use queer-inclusive language in your writing. (31:55)

--- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 ---

• What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (35:05)
• Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (38:13)
• Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shoutout? (39:49)
• In what order should someone read your books? (41:24)

---

Check out Sara's website for more about their writing, you can also find them on their NineStar Press page. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or look up their author page on Goodreads.

The major works discussed in this interview are "Life Minus Me", "Power Surge", and "Power Inversion".

---

You can find Robin's written reviews of Power Surge, Power Inversion, and Life Minus Me at Reviews that Burn.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

TITLE: Under the Pendulum Sun AUTHOR: Jeannette Ng PUBLISHER: Angry Robot YEAR: 2019 LENGTH: 409 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Yes

Book CWs for sexism, alcoholism, colonialism, incest, emotional manipulation (backstory), mental illness, confinement, body horror, suicidal thoughts, animal death, child death (backstory), murder, major character death, death.

Topic 1: Disassociation. Begins at (1:35), CW for Discussion of historical harm to children and autistic people, stigmatization of autistic behaviors.

Topic 2: Religious Trauma. Begins at (11:25), CW for suicidal tendencies, religious trauma (Protestant Christianity), biblical justification for harm, death (brief mention).

Topic 3: Incest. Begins at (23:10), CW for incest, biblical justification for harm, death (brief mention).

Promo for CPOV - RMC vs CG; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (39:35). CW for eugenics mention.

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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.

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.

• "Furnace" by Erika Hammerschmidt
• "Drowning Burning Flying Falling" by Grace Seybold
• "Toxoplasmosis of the Brain" by Gord Sellar

Book TW for domestic violence (backstory), homophobia, ableism, racism, racial slurs, terminal illness, bullying, blood, gore, gun violence, violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide, torture (not depicted), genocide, animal death, child death, major character death, death.

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This episode discusses fictional depictions of suicide (Topic 2). 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 maybe able to find the suicide hotline number or other appropriate emergency services for your country in this directory provided by OpenCounseling.

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Topic 1: "Furnace" - Death. Begins at (1:43), CW for Infertility, sex, death, loss of innocence, bomb mention.

Topic 2: "Drowning Burning Flying Falling" - Loss of agency. Begins at (12:33), CW for Suicide, death, grief, suicidal ideation, suicidal thoughts, loss of agency.

Topic 3: "Toxoplasmosis of the Brain" - Death camps. Begins at (24:57), CW for abandonment, HIV/AIDS, stereotyping based on death, child death, death, rape, genocide, murder.

Promo for CPOV Reignite; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (34:45).

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this book.

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

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.

Book TW for abusive parents, parental death, torture (implied), sex (explicit), bullying/abuse (explicit). 

Topic 1: Serafina - Emotional connection. Begins at (1:35), No major CWs. 

Topic 2: Laurence - Parental abuse: Neglect. Begins at (14:20), CW for neglect, discussion of torture, child abuse. 

Topic 3: Patricia - Parental abuse: Control. Begins at (23:55), CW for neglect, food abuse, bullying, targeting abuse, child abuse. 

Promo for CPOV Reignite; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (36:50). 

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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. 

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. 

Book TW for ableism, sexism, homophobia (brief), drug use (not depicted), car accident, violence, animal death (not depicted), suicide (not depicted), death (not depicted).

Topic 1: Belle - Erasure. Begins at (1:30), CW for loss of identity, classism, racism example in discussion.

Topic 2: Qwilleran - Car Accident. Begins at (19:30), CW for car accident, pets in danger.

Topic 3: The Fitch’s - Murder/Suicide. Begins at (31:20), CW for character death, murder, car crash, prison mention.

Promo for Fun & Games; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (53:00).

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

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Book TW for panic attacks, violence, child abuse, suicide, child death, major character death, death. 

Topic 1: Child abuse. Begins at (1:35), CW for child abuse, dislocation, injury mention, panic attacks, suicide mention. 

Topic 2: Memory Loss. Begins at (12:54), CW for Memory loss, memory theft, loss of personality, loss of bodily function. 

Topic 3: Death and the specter of mortality. Begins at (24:35), CW for suicidal ideation. 

Promo for ComicsQuest; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (33:55). 

--- 

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. 

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. 

This book has a film adaptation which you can find here. 

Link to monkey study discussed in the episode. 

Topic 1: Absent Parents. Begins at (0:00), CW for abandonment, neglect. This topic had a small recording issue and is a highlight reel from our discussion. The episode starts properly with Topic 2. 

Topic 2: Food Insecurity. Begins at (5:50), CW for food insecurity, food deserts, hunger, eating disorders, body horror. 

Topic 3: Illness. Begins at (16:20), CW for death, illness, body horror. 

Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (28:18). 

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This is an April Fool's Day episode. While we love a good joke, we don't want to distress our audience. This episode may invoke feelings of derealization (unreality and disorientation) as we take very seriously a book which perhaps on its own might not warrant the level of scrutiny we grant it in this episode. 

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You can find Andrea on Twitter, TikTok, and on Good Idea. 

--- 

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

Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

• Intro (0:00) 
• Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (0:40) 
• Do you put more thought into the trauma itself or the aftermath when thinking about the effects on your characters? (1:40) 
• Have you ever started writing a trauma in one of your books, and had it take over or have more of a story impact than originally intended? (7:30) 
• Has a traumatic event in your books ever changed your perception of a character? (9:28) 
• What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? (11:04) 
• What is your approach to incorporating characters with disabilities in your work? (15:15)
• Do you tend to write characters with a specific orientation? Do you generally stick to depictions of queerness which match parts of your identity? (18:58)
• If you have a character whose identity doesn’t match yours, do you have an approach for how to write about them without it being about that piece of them? (23:15)

--- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 ---  

• What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (29:08)
• Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (32:17)
• Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shoutout? (35:56)
• Where can our audience find you? (38:05) - Some of his social media handles were updated after this interview, please refer to the links below.

---

Check out JP Jackson's blog for more info about his writing, you can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Tumblr, or check out his Goodreads profile, Amazon Buy Link, and NineStar Press page.

The major works discussed in this interview are "Daimonion" and "Magic or Die".

The "book coming out in March" referenced in this interview is "Summoned" by JP Jackson, released April 19, 2021 by NineStar Press. Preorder it here.

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive part two of this two-part interview.

You can find Robin's written review of Daimonion and Magic or Die at Reviews that Burn.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

Book TW for mental illness, kidnapping, confinement, sexual assault (backstory). 

Topic 1: Zhegorz - Mental Illness. Begins at (0:50), CW for mental illness, institutionalization, abuse, magical abuse, homelessness. 

Topic 2: Sandry - Abandonment. Begins at (10:50), CW for miscommunication trope. 

Topic 3: Sandry - Kidnapping. Begins at (24:14), CW for kidnapping, sexual assault mention, rape culture, claustrophobia, loss of agency. 

Promo for Another Pass from the CPOV network. Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (35:54). 

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this series. 

Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

Book TW for torture, death, animal death, PTSD, war, massacre.

Topic 1: Disability. Begins at (0:50), CW for ableism, disability, PTSD, death, near-death experience. 

Topic 2: Death and Loss. Begins at (8:06), CW for war, PTSD, casualties of war, animal death, spoilers for Briar's Book. 

Topic 3: Torture (animal death). Begins at (17:30), CW for animal death, cruelty to animals, physical torture, psychological torture, threats of harm to loved ones, descriptions of torture, mention of nudity, animal abuse, slavery, PTSD, mention of the horrors of war, mention of civilian casualties. 

Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (35:03). 

--- 

If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this series. 

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. 

Book TW for child neglect, child abuse, ptsd, violence, parental death (not depicted). 

Topic 1: Glaki, Yali, and Iralima (abandonment). Begins at (0:50), CW for parental death, child abandonment. 

Topic 2: Kethlun (KETH-luhn) - Near-death and disability. Begins at (15:05), CW for ptsd, cptsd, murder mention, near death experience, physical disability. 

Topic 3: Tris - Powerlessness. Begins at (28:25), CW for plague, epidemic, Covid-19 mention, serial murder, helplessness, assault. 

Promo for The Derek Duvall Show; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (41:17). 

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this series. 

Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

Book TW for child abuse (not depicted), death. 

Topic 1: Frostpine - Child Abuse. Begins at (1:30), CW for ostracization, child enslavement, child abuse, abandonment, PTSD. 

Topic 2: Polyam - Disability. Begins at (17:15), CW for Description of physical injuries, ostracization, victim-blaming (disaster survivor), PTSD. 

Topic 3: Daja - Ostracization. Begins at (38:35), CW for Ostracization, bullying, queerphobia. 

Promo for Midwest Meltdown; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (58:08). 

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this series. 

Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

Book TW for antisemitism, racism, homophobia, ableism, ableist slurs, assault, murder, eugenics, genocide

Topic 1: Abuse and PTSD. Begins at (1:30), CW for abuse, bullying, ptsd,

Topic 2: Murder and PTSD. Begins at (21:30), CW for murder, bullying, abandonment, emotional isolation, gaslighting

Topic 3: Genocide and Consent. Begins at (34:52), CW for violation of consent, ptsd, genocide, mental health crisis, emotional breakdown, coma mention

Promo for Book Reports Pod; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (53:05).

Recommended books to read instead:

Animorphs by K. A. Applegate

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this book.

You can check out Robin's written review of Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow at Reviews That Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Book TW for brief transphobia, discussion of infanticide, discussion of suicide, anti-twin prejudice in a fictional culture, massacre, parental death, major character death. 

Topic 1: Oskel and Okim - Microaggressions. Begins at (1:30), CW for suicide, infanticide, child sacrifice, microaggression descriptions. 

Topic 2: Eolo - Dissociation and Dysphoria. Begins at (18:00), CW for dysphoria, misgendering. 

Topic 3: The Raven’s Lease - Advocated Suicide as Honorable Volunteer Sacrifice. Begins at (41:10), CW for suicide, society-advocated suicide, self-sacrifice, self-harm, murder. 

Promo for Pretty Nice Podcast; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (1:03:35). 

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

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. 

• Intro (0:00)
• Tell us a little about “All or None” as a book and “Star Stories” as a series. (1:20)
• Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (2:05)
• Do you put more thought into the trauma itself or the aftermath when thinking about the effects on your characters? (2:58)
• Have you ever started writing a trauma in (one of) your book(s), and had it take over or have more of a story impact than originally intended? (3:55)
• How do you decide what a character's reaction to traumatic events is going to be while writing them? (6:05)
• Do you tend to write characters with a specific orientation? Do you generally stick to depictions of queerness which match parts of your identity? (7:00)
• When depicting types of queerness that you do not share, what do you use to guide those depictions? (8:35)
• Have you ever had a character surprise you with their identity after you started writing? (9:05)
• What is your approach to incorporating characters of color in your work? (10:10)
• Have you ever had a character surprise you with their appearance/identity after you started writing? (14:00)
• What is your approach to incorporating characters with disabilities in your work? (15:00)
• Do you tend to write disabilities based on a specific set of references, or do you tend to write cultures that hide disabilities? (16:10)
• Have you ever had a character surprise you with a disability after you started writing? (16:40)
• Do you consider your characters’ body image when depicting them and their traumas? (17:10)
• Do you consider your character’s physical description when writing how other characters treat them? (19:10)
• What parts of your identities do you notice making appearances in your writing more than you intended? What parts of your identities do you notice seeping into your work unintentionally? (21:50)
• Do you write in trauma for background characters without planning for it to have an impact on the story, and if so does it ever leak into the story? (27:18)
• Have you ever had to stop writing a book or character because of the trauma they were going through? (29:00)

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Check out xyr Twitter, find xem on Facebook and Instagram, and visit xyr website. You can find All or None at xyr Universal Buy Link and xyr Amazon Buy Link.

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive part two of this two-part interview.

You can find Robin's written review of All or None at Reviews that Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd.

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Book CW for violence, murder, massacre, cannibalism, death of a child, discussion of sexual assault, sexual assault of a minor.

Topic 1: Khaddyr - Death. Begins at (0:50),body horror, dismemberment.

Topic 2: Rhapsody and Ashe - Gaslighting. Begins at (18:50), CW for gaslighting, rape, possession, pregnancy, slavery, coercion.

Topic 3: Rhapsody - Boundaries. Begins at (34:45), CW for self-harm, toxic coping methods, unhealthy boundaries, possession, rape

Promo for The BackTracker History Show; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (46:50).

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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.

Book CW for violence, murder, massacre, cannibalism, death of a child, discussion of sexual assault, sexual assault of a minor. 

Topic 1: Ashe - Bodily Autonomy. Begins at (0:50), rape mention, murder, ritual sacrifice mention, theft of body part, mutilation of body part, guilt of over other people's actions. 

Topic 2: Weaponization of female bodies against their loved ones. Begins at (12:37), CW for rape, cannibalism. 

Promo for Circle of Friendship; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (35:35). 

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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. 

If you'd like to receive part two of each interview as they're released, you can support us on Patreon. Your contribution helps us make the show, pay our transcriptionist, and keep talking to so many wonderful authors! 

The authors who appear in this trailer are M. D. Neu, Shaina Krevat, Hannah Abigail Clarke, Aurora Lee Thornton, Sara Codair, Kevin Klehr, and J. P. Jackson. 

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M. D. Neu: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Website, NineStar Press. 

Shaina Krevat: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Website, Goodreads. 

Hannah Abigail Clarke: Twitter, Instagram, Website, Goodreads. 

Aurora Lee Thornton: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Website, Universal Buy Link, Amazon Buy Link. 

Sara Codair: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Website, Goodreads, NineStar Press. 

Kevin Klehr: LinkTree, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Website, Goodreads, NineStar Press, Amazon Buy Link, BookTopia (Australia Only). 

J. P. Jackson: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Blog, Goodreads, NineStar Press, Amazon Buy Link. 

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Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

Book CW for murder, mass death, child death; TW for use of "prostitute" when describing sex workers. 

Topic 1: Rhapsody and Emily - Sexism. Begins at (1:30), CW for sexism, virginity as a construct, sex, rape, sexual abuse. 

Topic 2: Achmed and Grunthor - Racism. Begins at (16:03), CW for cannibalism, genocide, fantasy racism, talk of microaggressions. 

Topic 3: Jo - Ritual sacrifice and child abuse. Begins at (24:30), CW for descriptions of child murder, child mutilation, parental death. 

Promo for Half Damage; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (33:35). 

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this book. 

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. 

Book TW for bullying, sexism, misogyny, toxic masculinity, transphobia, dysmorphia, racism against fictional races, colonialism, mention of suicide, discussion of rape, body horror, assault, death. 

Topic 1: Rape Trial. Begins at (1:30), CW for rape, rape accusations, victim blaming. 

Topic 2: Bink: Toxic Masculinity. Begins at (18:40), CW for mutilation, toxic masculinity, fantasy incel culture, lack of consent, objectifying women, rape mention, murder mention. 

Promo for Happily Ever Haunted; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (56:30). 

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this book. 

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. 

Topic 1: Sally Jackson and partner abuse. Begins at (0:50), CW for physical abuse, emotional abuse, child kicked out of home, financial abuse. 

Topic 2: Percy Jackson and separation from peers. Begins at (13:15), CW for loss of friendship, parental death, attempted murder, discussion of parental pressure. 

Topic 3: Percy Jackson and false accusation. Begins at (25:30), CW for mention of police, betrayal, hunting, mention of sex. 

Spoiler-free recap and ratings: Begins at (37:30). 

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Read the transcript here. 

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

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

Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

Book TW for torture, sexual assault, child abuse, necrophilia, self-harm, animal death, death. 

Topic 1: Christmasland Kids. Begins at (1:30), CW for casual cruelty mention, physical torture, TW body horror (teeth, dismemberment), animal cruelty. 

Topic 2: Lou - protection/self-sacrifice. Begins at (11:28), CW for death, heart attack mentions, assumptions of mental illness by characters. 

Topic 3: Vic - attempted rape, kidnapping, not being believed about her own trauma. Begins at (17:35), CW for attempted rape, kidnapping, kidnapping of child, assault, death, murder, necrophilia, self-harm, animal death, “bury your gays”. 

Promo for Deep Dark Truth; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (32:22). 

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this book. 

Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

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You can find more of David on Twitch.

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

You can check out Robin's written reviews at Reviews That Burn. 

Transcripts for our episodes are on Transcripts That Burn.

Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Book CW for anxiety and gaslighting. 

Topic 1: Frizz - Compulsion. Begins at (0:50), CW for compulsion, gaslighting, discussion of trauma response, anxiety. 

Topic 2: Aya - Social Anxiety. Begins at (8:15), CW for anxiety. 

Topic 3: Aya - Loss of Privacy. Begins at (21:21), CW for loss of privacy, anxiety. 

Promo for Crit Chat; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (37:50). 

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

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. 

Book CWs for ableism, discussion of eating disorders, major character death. TW for self-harm. 

Topic 1:  Specials, Shay, Tally - Emotional extremes (emotional inhibition). Begins at (0:50), CW for self-harm, medical condition description, medical abuse. 

Topic 2:  Zane - Ableism. Begins at (18:42), CW for ableism, discussion of cosmetic surgery, character death. 

Topic 3: Shay - Cutting/self-harm. Begins at (33:48), CW for self-harm, medical condition description, medical abuse. 

Promo for Bad Songwriter Podcast; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (48:18). 

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

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. 

Please enjoy the spoiler-free portion of our interview with author Hannah Abigail Clarke, discussing their new book, "The Scapegracers". Timestamps are marked for the interview questions.

(Read The Transcript)

• Intro (0:00)

• Can you tell us a little about your book? (0:35)

• Can you talk a little bit about the way trauma works in your writing? (1:08)

• Do you feel that trauma for the sake of trauma is valid for characters to go through or be put in stories or does it always need to be plot related? (2:24)

• Has a traumatic event in your books ever changed your perception of a character? (4:10)

• How do you decide what a character's reaction to traumatic events is going to be while writing them? (5:48)

• When depicting types of queerness that you do not share, do you check them with members of those communities? What do you use to guide those depictions? (9:03)

• How do you approach incorporating “visible” queerness in your work? (10:45)

• Do you have a thought process on approaching ace or [aro] characters? (12:20)

• What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? What do you do to make it go beyond social coding (or not)? (17:20)

• Have you ever had a character surprise you with their appearance/identity after you started writing? (18:38)

• What is your approach to incorporating characters with disabilities in your work? What do you do to make it go beyond social coding (or not)? (21:20)

• Do you consider your character’s body image and/or physical description when depicting them and their traumas and how others treat them? (23:45)

--- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 ---

• Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (27:48)

• Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shout-out? (29:54)

• What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (30:06)

• Where can people find your work? (31:46)

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Check out Hannah Abigail Clarke's website for more info about his writing, You can follow them on Twitter and Instagram, or check out her Goodreads profile.

The major work discussed in this interview is Hannah Abigail Clarke's debut novel, "The Scapegracers".

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If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive part two of this two-part interview. 

You can find Robin's written review of The Scapegracers at Reviews that Burn. 

Find all our links on our Carrd. 

Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Book CW for for discussion of eating disorders, self-harm. 

Topic 1:  Zane - Brain damage, headaches/migraines. Begins at (0:50), CW for physical injury, memory loss, abuse, drowning. 

Topic 2:  Tally and Zane - Surveillance, loss of privacy. Begins at (13:51), CW for abuse by control, privacy violation. 

Topic 3:  Tally - Food denial behavior. Begins at (27:01), CW for anorexia, bulimia, purging, food control, self-harm. 

Promo for Drinking and Screaming; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (39:28). 

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

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. 

Topic 1: David - Loss of home. Begins at (1:25), CW for loss of parents, loss of home. 

Topic 2: Tally - Self Esteem. Begins at (11:26), CW for surgery, lack of self-esteem based on looks, intentionally cruel nicknames, systemic cruelty. 

Topic 3: Tally - Consent. Begins at (25:51), CW for surgery, coercion, lack of consent. 

Promo for Midwest Meltdown; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (43:55). 

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

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.