Fantology

The fifth installment of Dresden Files introduces our favorite plotline and enemy yet: the Fallen Angel Denarians. These guys cause major trouble for Harry and Chicago as they threaten to unleash the literal plague across the world. No word if they had a hand in COVID-19. Once again, Dresden will have to rely on his friends and reach into his bag of tricks in order to save the world! Plus, book yo...

Joe Abercrombie continues to impress Ryan, Ben & Stephen with his first stand-alone novel, Best Served Cold. This is a brutal and bloody tale of vengeance crafted by a master storyteller. Not only does this book contain many memorable moments, but it also has us reflecting on the nature of good and evil and how we as humans deal with the tragedies of life. Our characters here don't necessarily dea...

Dan & Nathan are back to chat with Stephen and break down the minutiae of the Harry Potter-verse. Apologies for the significant audio issues, some hexes are so strong that not even post-production editing can fix them! However, persevere and listen to our takes on Lockhart, Quidditch broom imbalance, Ron's broken wand and the state of house elf affairs. Plus, Stephen's strange connection to de-gno...

In this special edition Stephen, Ben and Josh supplement the low amount of news in Covid-19 April with their All-Time Top Five Fantasy Series Rankings. NO SPOILERS! Any book that makes a list like this is exemplary and deserves to be read, but with three different opinions on all time top five we couldn't help but drag each other's favorites through the mud. Just kidding... Kinda. Let us know what...

The Dresden Files train continues to pick up speed for Ben, Stephen & Josh in the fourth book of the series. Summer Knight introduces the fae courts in force, as Harry once again is the only wizard for hire that can prevent the annihilation of Chicago. Faeries, vampires & wizards...oh my! Plus, Harry Dresden or Harry Potter, which series handles muggles better? Next Up: Top 5 Series + April Fantas...

Book 3 of The Wheel of Time takes the series to new heights according to our host Stephen, expert Jake & first-time reader Kaden. The guys provide their unique perspectives on the characters and plot as they break down the action from The Dragon Reborn. No series spoilers, but be prepared to hear all the details of this book! Plus, comparisons to The Ocarina of Time & Animorphs and too bad Rand Al...

Rather than cover the entirety of Stephen King's magnum opus, Stephen extracts a broad strokes overview of these books from Josh. Our expert just finished the series and obviously wants to say a lot, but holds back enough to give this episode a yellow spoiler rating. No specific plot points will be harmed by listening to this episode! Plus, comparisons to The Series of Unfortunate Events and how d...

The Red Rising trilogy concludes in epic fashion with this exciting and harrowing adventure. Ben and Stephen are on hand to provide a blow by blow of the fate of Darrow and the rest of the Rising. We discuss our favorite moments, including rocket launchers and razor fights. Plus, which Wheel of Time character is Darrow's plot eerily similar to?  (Spoilers for the WoT series from 38:10 to 39:4...

Some differing opinions on the conclusion of His Dark Materials make up Josh and Stephen's review of book 3. We tackle some controversial subjects, ingrained in the subject matter of the book. How does this series compare to other contemporaries, and what were some of our favorite moments from the book? Plus, what mythology features the River Styx? Next up: Morning Star by Pierce Brown Followed By...

What else can we say about the GOAT series of YA fantasy? Stephen is joined by guest stars Dan and Nathan, who give their opinions on what makes Harry Potter what it is. We talk about some potential improvements to wizarding society, including issues with the house cup and Quidditch scoring systems. Plus, don't miss our power rankings of top and bottom character performances in the book! Next up: ...

Jim Butcher is starting to find his stride in the third entry of the Dresden files. Ben, Josh & Stephen talk through the ghosts, vampires & fae and hype up the rest of the series! Important characters are entering and the seeds of huge conflicts have been planted. While this entry still has a ways to go in terms of quality of the later books, we are officially headed there. At least Fantology thin...

Book Two of The Wheel of Time has an interesting structure. It's somewhat of a retelling of the first book, but it does so brilliantly, slowly fleshing out the world and larger plot of the series. Jake & Stephen break down the book without any series spoilers and first-time reader Kaden offers a unique perspective. The guys point out the important plot points and do a Power Ranking for their favor...

March was a great month for bad news, but there were a few nuggets of good news in the fantasy community! Josh, Ryan & Stephen recap and discuss recent tv, movie & book news in this episode. Beware, moderate spoilers if you aren't already current! Plus, Covid-19 bets that have aged poorly and moments one Fantology member doesn't want his wife to hear! Topic tags: Stranger things 2:22, The Witcher...

The second book of His Dark Materials keeps the momentum that started The Golden Compass going strong. This series has strong, unique character voices, engaging action, and meaningful symbolism. Although it suffers a bit from the classic second "bridge" book phenomenon, that by no means takes away from the quality of the series. Plus, looking to say fantasy books aren't of literary note? Bring it...

Ryan breaks down Michael J. Sullivan's first trilogy and does his best to convince Stephen to try reading it again. Sullivan pumps out a lot of content and is without a doubt the most prolific self-published fantasy author out there, but is the prose quality up to everyone's standards? Plus, comparisons to Wheel of Time, discussion on audiobooks vs physical books and several rash promises that one...

Blast from the past here! Artemis Fowl is going to be released as a movie soon so we thought we'd dust off our old copies and review it. This book (and series) was a huge hit in the early 2000's and still holds up well today. The characters are fun and the plot moves quickly. There's even some nicely executed twists at the end! If you never read this as a child, check it out now. Plus, look for Be...

A steampunk, young adult & alternative universe setting is not our usual cup of tea in a book. But here it works, and works well. The His Dark Materials series is as enticing as it is controversial, and we discuss the nature of that controversy and how it should be handled as you read. There is some deep symbolism here with meanings which may be unsettling to some readers. Plus, looking for the be...

The Wheel of Time begins turning for us in our review of the first book of the series. These books are foundational in every sense of the word! Jordan built from Tolkien and then in turn has influenced the popular authors of today. Speaking of, how well does the series stand up when read 30 years after its initial publication? Plus, check out our Power Rankings of characters from the first book! C...

No sophomore slump for Golden Son, the second book in the Red Rising trilogy! The middle entry continues to astound us with its unique formula of unforgettable non-stop action intermixed with poignant character moments. We discuss our favorite characters & scenes and speculate how Pierce Brown was able to keep the plot twisting and turning so effectively. Plus, yet another spelling error shames Fa...

In this episode we review the entirety of The Witcher saga - video games, books & TV show. After the release of the Netflix show the books have had a huge surge in popularity and fans have been calling for another video game. Why has this series been so successful and what's the best medium for this story to be told in anyway? Plus, we apologize for knowing nothing about the noble country of Polan...

If you like werewolves, you'll like the second book of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This one is still a little slow with a simple plot, but it continues to build up towards the brilliance of the series that's manifest later on. Plus, some of us are unaware that werewolf is a real word with a canonized spelling. You learn something new every day! Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Dis...

This new dark fantasy book is the best urban fantasy we've read since Dresden Files. And that's high praise coming from Josh! The setting, characters and prose combine to form the beginning of a promising series that captivates the reader's attention from beginning to end. Plus, how come we missed out on joining a secret society in college? Chat with us more! Tell us why we're wrong! Discord: http...

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? Cha...

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...

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! Tel...