Fantology

The First Law Trilogy is the hallmark of grimdark fantasy. Gritty and hyper-realistic, this series is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. However, for those that have the fortitude there is a lot to love in the raw connection to characters & superb prose craft. This series is a new favorite - we're excited to read more Abercrombie! Plus, who is Louis XIV and where is France anyways? Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music: "New Dawn" by Terry Devine-King

We're looking ahead to a big 2020 of fantasy books, movies and TV shows. As always there are new offerings from Marvel, plus Amazon's Wheel of Time & Lord of the Rings adaptations. Sanderson's new Stormlight Archive entry headlines 2020's book releases, but there are a few others we'll be reading as well! Plus, when can we expect more Song of Ice & Fire & Kingkiller Chronicles and are the authors obligated to deliver? Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music: "New Dawn" by Terry Devine-King

Red Rising is a classic mashup of The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, Lord of the Flies & Ender's Game. However, this fast moving book is more than the sum of its parts. There are plenty of rough edges here as Red Rising sets up for the rest of the series, but overall we enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more Darrow! Also, who has time for camelCase during a podcast? Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music: "New Dawn" by Terry Devine-King

Our first segment of Fantasy News is a recap of a momentous 2019. Game of Thrones went out with a whimper and The Witcher came in with a bang. The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, Watchmen and several Marvel offerings commanded our viewing attention. Our literary eyeballs saw Lightbringer & Licanius come to an end. Plus, we mix up heroine Starlight with Sanderson's newest YA offering and can't wait for Wheel of Time on Prime! Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music: "New Dawn" by Terry Devine-King

The first book of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files is a slow start to what will eventually blossom into one of our favorite series. This is urban fantasy done right! Dresden doesn't take itself too seriously and neither do we, with comparisons to Harry Potter and trashy romance novels. Plus, is male gaze a thing in this series, and how much of an issue is it? Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music: "New Dawn" by Terry Devine-King

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson is the entrance into the epically long and complex Malazan universe. Our resident expert Ryan is on hand to guide Ben & Stephen through the book and chuckle about their misguided theories. We also discuss favorite scenes and characters and how the series compares to Sanderson's cosmere. Plus our Worst of the Best segment and the dangers of audiobooks and high ACT scores. Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music: "New Dawn" by Terry Devine-King

What is it exactly about The Stormlight Archive that so thoroughly captures our imaginations? We try to answer this question as we tackle the IT series of the fantasy book world. Our favorite moments & characters receive full coverage, but no series is perfect! Our new "worst of the best segment" at the end of the episode talks about a few not-so-favorite moments. Plus, what would it be like to dorm with Sanderson & Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings?  Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music: "New Dawn" by Terry Devine-King

The Remembrance of Earth's Past series by Cixin Liu is a breakthrough sci-fi series that took our collective breath away. Translated from its original Chinese, the prose is sharp and perfectly displays Liu's imaginative yet haunting vision of a future after contact with an alien race. We discuss cultural differences, ethical dilemmas, and questions of what it means to be human. Also, a callback to some of our favorite childhood series. Finally, we cannot NOT recommend experimenting while reading the series!  Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music: "New Dawn" by Terry Devine-King

The machine that is Brandon Sanderson can write pretty high quality YA books as well. How does this series compare to his more prolific epic fantasy series? The guys have some positive comparisons, and deep cosmere lore. We liked the humor (mostly), but across the board struggled with the cheesy romance. Also, a deep dive into the psychology of 11 year-old Stephen's terror of basilisks.  Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music from https://filmmusic.io - "Dangerous" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

The conclusion to the Licanius Trilogy was a mixed bag for us. Worth reading, but somewhat disappointing after the success of the first two books. Also, Stephen is a prose snob!  Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: https://discord.gg/9AMJqj2 Support the show on Patreon and access additional perks: https://www.patreon.com/fantology_books Check out our exclusive Merch in our Spreadshirt shop: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/fantology/ Music from https://filmmusic.io - "Dangerous" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)