Fiction Fans

Your hosts talk about The Cleaving by Juliet E. McKenna, and how it didn’t quite live up to their expectations. Sara knows too much about Arthurian legend, and Lilly doesn’t know enough for either of them to really engage with this retelling. Something, something, girl power. Find us on discord: https://discord.gg/dpNHTWVu6b or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fictionfanspod Thanks t...

With apologies to Bryan Asher for the 15 month wait, your hosts discuss The Assassin of Malcozé. They talk about first novel exposition, world building intricacies, and excellently choreographed fight scenes. They also bring up some spoiler stuff we don’t want to mention here. Find us on discord: https://discord.gg/dpNHTWVu6b or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fictionfanspod Thanks...

Your hosts are joined by Andrew Cartmel to talk about “Death in Fine Condition,” the first novel in his new Paperback Sleuth series. They discuss likeable main characters, morally grey main characters, kind of horrible main characters, and endearing main characters (all at the same time!). They also bring up the delightful character crossovers between this series and the Vinyl Detective series, as...

Your hosts discuss “The Bruising of Qilwa” by Naseem Jamnia, a novella that they mostly enjoyed but really should have been a novel. They talk about refugee stories, the rippling repercussions of past empires, and the flaws of the novella format. They also talk about the melding of magic and science in this medical horror story. Content warning for discussion of: plague, xenophobia, racism, bullyi...

Your hosts discuss Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee and only spend SOME of the time talking about emotional connection (and lack thereof!) to Arthurian legend. They also cover near-future-environmental-dystopias, the problem with heroes, and how nice it would be if climate change was fixed by one good explosion. This episode also features a combobulating Words are Weird segment about unpaired words...

Your hosts are joined by Gabriela Houston to talk about “The Storm Child,” the second book in her middle-grade duology. They talk about the importance of treating serious topics seriously (even in children’s books), the experiences of multicultural families, and growth in mother-daughter relationships. Listen to the episode on The Wind Child here: https://www.fictionfanspodcast.com/post/author-int...

Your hosts get back on the Discworld turtle with “The Last Continent” by Terry Pratchett. They discuss Rincewind’s character arc, Definitely-Not-Australia, and the wizards of Unseen University dipping their toes into workplace satire. This episode also features a Words are Weird segment around the phrase “eating tea” with a special mention for “throbbing stem.” Thanks to the following musicians fo...

Your hosts discuss Light From Uncommon Stars, a definitely-not-magical-realism novel by Ryka Aoki. They talk about misleading expectations, immigrant experiences told through food, and how the book really is as sweet as people say it is but you have to get to the ending for that payoff. Special features include Donuts, Lesbian Flirting, and Sex Positivity. Content warning, this episode includes co...

Your hosts speak with J. Dianne Dotson about her new collection of short stories and poetry, The Shadow Galaxy. They talk about vulnerability in fiction, multi-genre sensibilities, and cosmic horror in the Appalachians.  You can find J. Dianne Dotson online at: Twitter - https://twitter.com/jdiannedotson Her website - https://jdiannedotson.com/   Thanks to the following musicians for the use of th...

Your hosts are joined by Claire North to talk about Ithaca, the first book in The Songs of Penelope trilogy, a retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey. They discuss Greek mythology, toxic gender expectations, and her inspirations for the voices of her goddess narrators.  You can find Claire North online in the following places: https://www.clairenorth.com/ https://twitter.com/ClaireNorth42 Thanks to the...

Your hosts speak with Steven J. Morris about The Guardian of the Palace, the first book in his urban fantasy series. They talk about non-linear narratives, using brand names in novels, and characters’ struggles with adapting to civilian life. They bring up the question: is it really urban fantasy without vampires? (Yes.) The book is going to be free April 14-16. Find Steven J. Morris on instagram:...

Your hosts are back on their Journey to the Center of the Discworld, this time with Jingo by Terry Pratchett. Did you know that Terry Pratchett wrote an anti war book?  Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Your hosts are once again joined by Hannah and Laura from On Wednesdays We Read Podcast for another episode of Nostalgia Book Club. This time, they’re covering Dealing With Dragons, book one of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. They talk about draconic gender expectations, fairytale tropes, and audiobook pitfalls. The crew agrees that this book aged pretty damn well for somethi...

Your hosts go back to the moon Factus with a discussion of “Hel’s Eight,” the sequel to “Ten Low” by Stark Holborn. They try desperately to remember what happened in Ten Low and talk about the delight of world building coming after character building for once. They also debate book comps, overuse the word “gritty,” and Lilly abuses a quote from classic scifi. Sara has a Pet Peeve about grains. You...

Your hosts are joined by longtime friend of the show K.R.R. Lockhaven to talk about Mrs. Covington's, his forthcoming cozy fantasy standalone novel, and the kickstarter that he's running to fund it. They talk about writing a standalone novel in a setting where he already has an established series, well-rounded parent characters, and why he decided to call nachos in his fantasy world &quo...

Netflix reminded your hosts that Shadow and Bone exists, so they decided that they’d read the first novel in Leigh Bardugo’s trilogy. They are DEFINITELY not the target audience for these books. They discuss fantasy settings, chosen one tropes, and whether or not the Darkling is actually hot enough to warrant all of the conflict in this book. This episode also features a “Words are Weird” debating...

The interviewer becomes the interviewee as your hosts welcome Andi Ewington back on to the podcast to talk about his new comedic fantasy novel, The Hero Interviews. They discuss writing for video games vs comics vs novels, the similarities between footnotes and marmite, and all things D&D (and MERP). Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénad...

For their annual Doctor Who Gallifrey One Convention episode, your hosts discuss Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson (author of the audio drama Doctor Who Redacted). They unsuccessfully try to talk about this book without giving anything away in the spoiler section before giving up because basically everything is a spoiler due to the book’s excellent pacing. They talk about the nature of clif...

Your hosts are joined by Rob Wilkins, long time friend and employee of Terry Pratchett, and author of Pratchett’s official biography, “Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes.” They discuss what it was like working so closely with such a beloved author, and whether or not Rob ever played D&D with Terry Pratchett. Rob weighs in on possible starting points for the Discworld series and the whole g...

Your hosts are writing this episode description months after they recorded the episode, so just like they didn’t remember anything that happened in Gideon the Ninth, they also don’t remember anything they discussed about Harrow the Ninth. They’re pretty sure they played “shoot, screw, marry” and there’s something about second person POV in there. Also, this episode may or may not contain a Pet Pee...

Your hosts speak with author Leslye Penelope about her new novel, The Monsters We Defy. They discuss the highs and lows of the 1920s, the delight of heists, and the real-world inspiration behind the main character. They also cover ghosts, romance, and strong third-person POV. This episode contains a Words Are Weird about the slang use of the word “heifer”. Thanks to the following musicians for the...

Your hosts get festive in their discussion of The Hogfather. They do cave and end up calling “Hogswatch” plain ol’ christmas a few times. They talk about Death and the weirdly specific “skeletons impersonating Santa Claus” genre as a whole. They also talk about belief as a magic system, Susan’s character growth and increased badassery, and how absolutely chilling the villain Mr. Teatime is. This e...

Your hosts talk about The Foundling, the Heist, and the Volcano, the second novel in K.R.R. Lockhaven’s Azure Archipelago trilogy. It does provide what it says on the tin, but it also contains a whole lot of great relationships and a heavy dose of wholesome horniness. They go back and forth on whether this book counts as “cozy,” but are in staunch agreement that the antagonists play their roles ex...

Your hosts discuss their reading habits of 2022 and a few of the fantastic books they read last year. They try very hard to remember names from books they read close to two years ago, and do alright. They also assign some superlatives, like "best side character" and "world that would most likely kill us instantly." Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: -...

Your hosts are joined by Jonathan Nevair to talk about his scifi thriller, Stellar Instinct. James Bond comes up, but not as much as super cool backwards necklaces. They discuss the polarizing effect of 2nd person POV, the differences between writing thrillers vs space operas, and bad poetry. The spoiler section has MAJOR SPOILERS. We openly talk about some crucial twists in the novel. Find more f...