Dragons & Spaceships

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, Brandi dives into The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, a powerful historical mystery that asks hard questions about truth, justice, and whose voices are allowed to matter. Set in 1789 Maine, the novel follows Martha Ballard, a midwife whose meticulous diary places her at the center of a murder investigation when a man is found frozen in the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships , Brandi explores The Wedding People, a quietly devastating and deeply compassionate novel about grief, invisibility, and the unexpected ways connection can keep us alive. Set against the backdrop of luxury weddings, oceanfront mansions, and carefully curated celebrations, the story follows Phoebe, a woman unraveling in plain sight. While...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, Brandi explores The Widow, a slow burning psychological mystery that lingers long after the final page. Rather than relying on shock twists or flashy reveals, this novel builds unease through silence, omission, and the devastating consequences of choosing not to see the truth. At the center of the story is Jean Taylor, a character who is...

Send us Fan Mail In this special holiday episode of Dragons and Spaceships, Brandi leans into the cozy, playful spirit of the season with reader questions, festive book recommendations, and a Dragon’s Roar full of upcoming releases to add to your winter TBR. The episode kicks off with a fun listener prompt about favorite holiday reads. Romance, mystery, fantasy, or a little bit of everything are a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, Brandi unpacks Riley Sager’s gothic thriller The Only One Left, a story dripping with atmosphere and tension. Set inside Hope’s End, a crumbling mansion perched on a cliff, the book creates an eerie cinematic experience where every shadow feels alive and every typed confession reveals another piece of a long-buried truth. Brandi explores...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, Brandi returns to the world of Devney Perry’s Shield of Sparrows and explores why this fantasy romance has captured the hearts of readers. Brandi breaks down the emotional layers, the monster mythology, and the complicated line between love, loyalty, and bravery. She also spotlights the highly anticipated sequel, Rites of the Starling, ar...

Send us Fan Mail Atmosphere is a story about courage, ambition, and the quiet strength it takes to live authentically when the world tells you not to. Brandi explores how Taylor Jenkins Reid blends heart, history, and humanity to create a story that feels both intimate and expansive. If you love emotional character arcs and stories that reach for the stars, this one is for you. This week’s Dragon’...

Send us Fan Mail Love and Other Words is the kind of slow burn that sneaks up on you. Every chapter adds another clue, another emotional layer, and the alternating timeline gives it a nostalgic, bittersweet rhythm.  It is technically a romance, but it is also a story about self-discovery. It is about reopening your heart after years of keeping it closed. It asks the questions that linger long afte...

Send us Fan Mail The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig cuts deep. It is raw, poetic, and unforgettable. In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, Brandi explores Gillig’s breathtaking writing style and the emotional themes that make her work both painful and healing. Rachel Gillig’s prose feels alive: sharp, mythic, and deeply human. If The Knight and The Moth shows us how to survive pain, The...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, Brandi explores The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah — a raw, emotional story of survival, love, and the strength it takes to endure both wilderness and heartbreak. Set in the rugged beauty of Alaska, this novel asks what happens when isolation becomes both a sanctuary and a prison. Brandi breaks down the book’s unforgettable themes, its com...

Send us Fan Mail In this chilling and deeply introspective episode of Dragons and Spaceships, host Brandi sits down once again with acclaimed horror author Tatiana Schlote (also known as The Buff Writer) to discuss her latest psychological folk horror novel, The Mean Ones. The story follows Sadie, a 29-year-old woman haunted by the trauma of witnessing her best friend’s brutal death at a summer ca...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, host Brandi dives into Jeneva Rose’s dark, twisty psychological thriller, The Perfect Marriage. Sarah Morgan, a high-powered defense attorney, steps in to defend her husband Adam when his mistress is brutally murdered, revealing the morally gray complexities of their relationship. Jeneva Rose delivers shocking twists, layered characters,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, host Brandi dives into The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony — a powerful historical novel set in 1970s Dublin, when contraception was still illegal. The story follows Mara and Bernie, two brave women who risk everything to smuggle contraceptives and fight for bodily autonomy. Brandi explores the book’s themes of women’s rights, frie...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, host Brandi takes listeners on a heartfelt journey through Emily Henry’s bestselling romance, People We Meet on Vacation. We dive deep into Poppy and Alex’s annual summer trips, their opposites-attract dynamic, and the slowburn tension that has made readers laugh, cry, and swoon. Through dual timelines of friendship, heartbreak, and redis...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships , the hosts dive into Ruth Ware’s gripping psychological thriller, The Woman in Cabin 10 . Set aboard a luxurious cruise liner, the story follows journalist Lo Blacklock as she uncovers a chilling mystery, navigating deception, danger, and the frustration of a world that tries to silence her. The discussion explores the novel’s tense atmos...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships , Brandi explores the thrilling YA fantasy debut, Powerless by Lauren Roberts . Journey through the brutal kingdom of Aaliyah, where magic determines worth, as ordinary Paedyn Gray defies the odds in deadly competitions filled with sharp-witted heroines and enemies-to-lovers tension. Also featured: the trending BookTalk pick, The House of...

Send us Fan Mail In this enchanting episode of Dragons and Spaceships , host Brandi delves into Evie Woods’ The Lost Bookshop , a novel that beautifully blends historical fiction with magical realism. Through the intertwined lives of Opaline, Martha, and Henry, Woods explores themes of belonging, love, and the transformative power of literature. Brandi highlights how each character’s journey refle...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships , we dive into Jenny Han’s beloved novel, The Summer I Turned Pretty . Known for capturing the magic and melancholy of adolescence, Han tells a story about love, family, and the bittersweet process of growing up. Host Brandi discusses the themes that resonate with readers—from the excitement and heartbreak of summer romance to the challeng...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships , we dive deep into the layered world of Rose in Chains . Rather than focusing solely on plot, we turn our attention to the characters who breathe life into the narrative. Host Brandi unpacks the motivations, conflicts, and relationships that shape the series’ intricate drama, highlighting the transformations that characters undergo and ho...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Dragons and Spaceships , host Brandi explores Jennette McCurdy's bestselling memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died . Known worldwide as Sam Puckett on iCarly and Sam & Cat , McCurdy steps beyond the spotlight to share a raw and honest account of her childhood stardom, her fraught relationship with her mother, and her long path toward healing and self-di...

Send us Fan Mail In this gripping episode of Dragons and Spaceships, host Brandi dives into Carter Wilson’s chilling new thriller, Tell Me What You Did. The story follows Poe Webb, a true crime podcast host whose own past is darker than any confession she’s aired. When a mysterious guest claims to be her mother’s killer, Poe is forced to confront secrets she thought were buried forever. Brandi exp...

Send us Fan Mail In this thought-provoking episode of Dragons and Spaceships , we explore two genre-defying novels that challenge how we perceive time, language, and identity. First, we dive into Alexander Boldizar’s The Man Who Saw Seconds , a pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller about Preble Jefferson, a man who can see five seconds into the future. This gift sets off a chain of events that forces him...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships , we dive into the tangled web of secrets and social pressure in One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus. Brandi explores the layered character dynamics of Bronwyn, Addie, Nate, and Cooper—each navigating the intense scrutiny of high school while hiding truths that could change everything. From the mystery surrounding Simon’s death to the emot...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships, we dive into the magical world of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. With a charming blend of spellcraft, family tension, and entrepreneurial spirit, this cozy fantasy explores what it means to forge your own path. We also spotlight Ali Hazelwood’s Problematic Summer Romance and share the latest buzz from Sarah J. Maas’ ACOTAR series. Whe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Dragons and Spaceships , host Brandi sits down with author Jeffrey Hops (writing as Marcia Twain) to explore Vesta and Her Children —a powerful historical novel set in the twilight of ancient Rome. From gender and legacy to religious identity and crumbling empires, this story offers a bold reimagining of the forces that shaped history. What we cover: The inspira...