Book Dragon Banter

Lorn’s Backstory, and Between Lore | Between Read-Along  Book Dragon Banter (Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage) continues their explicit, spoiler-free read-along of Between by L.L. Starling, focusing on a lore-heavy chapter section from Lorn’s perspective. They discuss hints about Lorn’s past (fear of mobs, childhood shackles, orphanhood), the price of magic shown through ink-black-to-gray exhaustio...

School Chaos, Drunk on Elderberry Wine, and Crossing the Gateway | Between by L.L. Starling Read-Along (Spoiler-Free) Book Dragon Banter (Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage) continues a read-along of Between by L.L. Starling, focusing on Chapter 18 through Part One’s epilogue. They discuss magical creature attacks at the school, Sasha protecting the kids (and the goldfish), and how the cozy fantasy t...

Witches’ Meeting, Shadow Mirror Lorn, and Blondie’s Debut  Between by L.L. Starling Read-Along (Spoiler-Free) Book Dragon Banter (Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage) continues a spoiler-free buddy read of Between by L.L. Starling, discussing a chapter section packed with revelations and humor. They unpack the witches’ coven meeting, Sasha and Lyla “potioning” the witches, and new information about dr...

Introducing Our next Buddy Read: Between by L.L. Starling! Get Between here: https://www.llstarling.com/books (book of faces) The Sleazy Weasel: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betweenbuddyread Fan Made Buddy Read Options by Bronte Alexandra: https://bookdragonbanter.substack.com/p/between-buddy-read Podcast links: Book Dragon Banter Substack - https://bookdragonbanter.substack.com/ TT: https://ww...

Between by L.L. Starling Read-Along (Prologue & Ch. 1–9) | Old Middleton Witches, Dream Magic & First Theories Book Dragon Banter introduces a spoiler-free buddy read of L.L. Starling’s Between, with Zinzi rereading and Sage and Katherine reading blind. They explain the read-along format, discuss formats (ebook vs dual-narration audiobook with Emily Ellett and Steve West), and note alterna...

Finished This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me? What Ilona Andrews Series Should You Read Next (Spoiler-Free) Book Dragon Banter hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss what to read next after Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, staying mostly spoiler-free while comparing series across the authors’ backlog. They highlight Ilona Andrews’ new app for tracking reading, taking a series quiz, a...

Book Hangover Cures for This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me | Soft FMCs, Isekai, Magic Systems & Worldbuilding In this Book Dragon Banter episode, Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine share spoiler-free recommendations to cure a This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me hangover by focusing on similar elements rather than derivative substitutes. They plug Book Dragon Ink writing retreats and announce HearthCon (Oct...

Cozy vs. Creepy Fall TBR: Witches, Vampires, Haunted Houses & Spicy Orc Romance  Book Dragon Banter hosts Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine share fall TBR picks and discuss whether they read seasonally (cozy vs. creepy) based on mood or climate, plus announce HearthCon panels on Oct. 3–4. Zinzi recommends cozy fantasy titles including Tails, Tusks and Teacakes, The Very Secret Society of Irregul...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me: Quotes Quiz, “Most Likely To,” Real-World Jobs & Fan Casting | Book Dragon Banter Book Dragon Banter hosts Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine wrap up their season on Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me with a spoiler-filled games episode. They start with a “who said it” quote quiz featuring lines from characters, then play “most likely to” about Kair Toren...

Podcast Updates + What We’re Reading Next? | Book Dragon Banter The hosts of Book Dragon Banter (Zinzi, Sage, and Katherine) share podcast updates including a new Thursday release day, a meet-up opportunity at From Milwaukee With Love/Meet Me on North on September 12, and an endorsement of Ilona Andrews’ new app with name spellings, maps, and extras. They then debate what book to cover next after...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Finale: Isekai Expectations, Bonus Scenes & Book Two Theories | Book Dragon Banter In this episode of Book Dragon Banter, Sage, Katherine, and Zinzi Bree wrap their spoiler-filled discussion of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, reflecting on the experience of reading in sections versus binging, and sharing predictions for book two and beyond. They comp...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along: Chapters 40–43 & Epilogue  In this Book Dragon Banter episode, Sage, Katherine, and Zinzi Bree discuss chapter 40 through the end of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, noting Katherine’s mid-episode technical difficulties and saving full-series speculation for a wrap-up pajama party. They recap the Joedurar ball, including Maggie’s princes...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along: The Temple in the Tangle, Isadau, and a Mage Battle In this episode of Book Dragon Banter, Katherine, Sage, and Zinzi Bree discuss chapters 37–39 of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, from Clover negotiating for Maggie’s dress, to the eerie temple rescue of cursed mage Isadau, and questions about magic’s costs and rules. They break down the ex...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along: Maggie’s Magic, Digi’s Deal, and Bellen’s Red Flags  In this episode of Book Dragon Banter its hosts, Katherine, Sage and Zinzi Bree, discuss chapters 32–36 of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, framing them as the setup before the climax. They recap Maggie meeting Galiene, exposing the leak to Hreban and learning Maggie can speak Sereso, then...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along:  Maggie’s Adoption, Everard’s Schemes & the Fortress Attack In this Book Dragon Banter read-along episode, hosts Sage, Katherine, and Zinzi Bree discuss This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, focusing on Maggie’s adoption into the Demar family, the subtext-laden banter between Solentine and Everard, and how Maggie’s new legitimacy shifts the p...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along: Chapters 24-28 Book Dragon Banter hosts Sage, Katherine, and Zinzi Bree continue their read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. They discuss the aftermath of Everard’s reveal, Maggie’s practical coping and boundary-setting, and her dilemma over whether the “book” Everard matches the man in front of her. Maggie leverages Everard’s need to...

The Everard in the Room: Chapter 23 Shock & Betrayal | This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along In this Book Dragon Banter read-along episode for This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, Zinzi, Sage, and Katherine react to the Chapter 23 twist: a moment they praise as “unexpected but inevitable” due to carefully planted clues (coins, age, excessive knowledge, and character reactions) an...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along: The Butcher Appears, Kaiden’s Family Tree, and an Almost Kiss (Ch. 18–22) In this episode of Book Dragon Banter Sage, Katherine, and Zinzi Bree discuss chapters 18–22 of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, covering Maggie’s market outing with Reynald and Clover, the return of the mysterious “Goldeneyes from the Garden,” and the grim discovery o...

Quick check in from Zinzi. No new episode drop this week. In the meantime where should we put our chapter summaries, and what book or series would you like us to cover until Maggie the Undying 2 comes out? Let us know in the comments! See you next week! Get in touch with us!

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along: Two Boots and a Sword (Ch. 15–17) In this Book Dragon Banter read-along episode, Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine discuss chapters 15–17 of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, shifting format to prioritize discussion over a detailed recap. They break down Maggie’s troupe’s tightly orchestrated gray iron barrel heist at the docks, including distr...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read-Along (Ch. 11–14)  Book Dragon Banter hosts Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine continue their read-along mini season for This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, covering chapters 11 through 14 with a spoiler-free discussion. The hosts discuss Maggie’s rapidly shifting attachments, found-family dynamics, heist-story structure, and romance possibilities among...

Book Dragon Banter continues a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, covering chapters 6–10. Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine discuss first impressions of the newly introduced Reynald, Clover, and Kaiden, praising how the book handles extreme violence and noting the realism of consequences like the heaviness of bodies and having to dispose of them. They talk about...

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine begin a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, covering chapters 1–5. They recap Maggie being isekai’d into Kair Toren, stealing coins, getting murdered, and reviving, then navigating the Garden of Soft Blossoms, learning language and social classes, meeting Galiene, encountering villain Ulmar Hreban, and making a risky information-...

This summer we're trying something different and digging into Zinzi's newest book obsession: This Kindgom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews. Read-along with us as Katherine and Sage read the book for the first time! Get in touch with us!

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez — Experimental Fantasy, POV Shifts & Love Stories | Book Dragon Banter In this episode of Book Dragon Banter, Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine discuss Simon Jimenez’s The Spear Cuts Through Water, our Fable book club pick, sharing spoiler-free reactions and then diving into spoilers. We unpack the book’s experimental structure—second-person “you,” s...