Hot Take Books

Our dynamic duo tackle the magic system of Hobb's world, think of it like sprinkling a little fairy dust on a medieval drama. Fitz juggles his forbidden powers while navigating the shadows of the court, and the fun doesn't stop there! Rich and Ryan explore the nuances of personal growth, mentorship, and Dootchies Vs. 'Dutchies'. Mispronunciations aside, they keep the discussion flo...

In this Fast Take episode, Ryan and Rich dive into The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang — a standalone military fantasy that blends elemental magic, family bonds, and the brutal cost of war. This spoiler-free review covers what makes the book worth reading, and what might hold some readers back. From the Avatar: The Last Airbender -inspired power system to gut-punch emotional moments and cinematic bat...

Ryan and Rich return to break down The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang in this full-spoiler deep dive, and it’s an emotional ride. From heart-shattering deaths to jaw-dropping battle sequences, they unpack why this standalone military fantasy has become one of the most talked-about books on BookTok. They dig into everything: Misaki’s evolution from obedient wife to warrior, Takeru’s brutal yet redemp...

What happens when the worlds of Red Rising and The Stormlight Archive collide? In this bonus crossover episode, Rich and Ryan fuse their two favorite series to answer the ultimate fan question: Which Orders of the Knights Radiant would Red Rising characters belong to? From Willshaper ideals to Bondsmith vibes, to whether any of the Radiant Orders are even good enough for Sevro, the guys debate, ar...

The spoiler walls are down, and the Radiants are on the couch. Rich and Ryan dig into Wind and Truth , Brandon Sanderson’s emotional (and occasionally chaotic) finale to Stormlight’s first arc. Rich thinks he spoiled himself halfway through the read—turns out he didn’t—and Ryan brings the internet’s wildest one-star reviews to the table. From Adolin’s armor glow-up to Dalinar’s divine identity cri...

The six-star review madness has to stop. Rich and Ryan open this spoiler-free FastTake by calling out BookTok’s chaotic scoring habits before diving headfirst into Brandon Sanderson’s Wind and Truth , the long-awaited finale to Stormlight’s first arc. It’s part rant, part celebration, and fully Hot Take Books energy. Rich compares the book to a Hall-of-Fame victory lap, Ryan swears it’s his most-h...

Buckle up folks, this one’s for the diehards. In our spoiler filled coverage of Rhythm of War , we go full deep dive into Brandon Sanderson’s fourth Stormlight Archive book. No safety nets, no spoiler warnings after this point—just raw, unfiltered takes. We debate whether Rhythm deserves its “worst in the series” reputation (it doesn’t), break down Navani and Raboniel’s science-magic explorations,...

The Stormlight Archive journey continues! In this Fast Take, Ryan and Rich dive into Rhythm of War —Brandon Sanderson’s fourth entry in the saga. We’re talking pacing, worldbuilding, villains, and why this book might secretly be the best in the series (yes, we said it). From Navani finally stepping into the spotlight to Kaladin battling his inner storms, this episode explores why Rhythm of War des...

Three Shallans walk into a bar… and the hot takes start pouring. In this full-spoiler deep dive on Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer , Rich tries to hold the line as the resident Stormlight skeptic while Ryan fully embraces the mob mentality. From Dalinar’s “You cannot have my pain” moment to Szeth’s Skybreaker glow-up, Adolin’s underrated greatness, and yes, all three Shallans, the pod unpacks what...

Is listening to an audiobook the same as reading? We kick things off with that spicy debate before diving into Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer . From slow-burn stretches to avalanche payoffs, we talk Dalinar’s big spotlight, Radiant struggles, and why the flashbacks are back in a big way. Spoiler-free, full of banter, and just enough to help you decide if it’s time to keep journeying through the S...

🎧 FastTake: Words of Radiance - Spoiler-free, full banter, and all the chaotic energy you’ve come to expect. Rich has a villain origin story brewing (his words, not ours). He also can’t help but call out Ryan for falling way too hard for Stormlight even though, somehow, their ratings end up almost identical. Do the boys think this one paces better than The Way of Kings? Why is Ryan in full-blown...

🎧 SpoilerTake: Words of Radiance - Spoiler Warning!!!!!! The boys dive all the way into Words of Radiance , and it’s nothing but hot takes, arguments, and love for Sanderson’s epic. Rich struggles with his score, Ryan calls him out for Stormlight gaslighting, and both agree this book fixes nearly every critique they had of The Way of Kings . From Parshendi lore and radiant orders to Kaladin hitti...

Spoiler-free - The Stormlight Archive- Full series review. Trying to decide if you should go all in on this legendary series? We’ve got just the content to help you figure that out. The boys talk about one of the greats writing one of the best fantasy series of all time— The Stormlight Archive . Rich complains about the sheer volume of text and audio it takes to finish it, Ryan struggles to move o...

The boys clearly hold long books to a very high standard—and The Way of Kings is no exception. They’ve got thoughts, they’ve got opinions… and yes, they’ve got “notes” on how it could be even better. But when this one hits the ending, it really delivers. All completely spoiler-free. FastTake is live

The boys go deep on how they’d improve The Way of Kings hint: it could be way shorter. But they also give plenty of praise for its originality and the overall impact of the story. Spoilers everywhere, hot takes guaranteed.

Empire of Silence – FastTake The boys break down Empire of Silence in this spoiler-free FastTake—and for the first time ever, the combined score lands below a 5. Even more surprising? Rich is actually higher on the book than Ryan. We talk Hadrian Marlowe: a main character you get to know like someone you went to high school with. The problem? You might not want to run into him at the reunion. Is t...

Empire of Silence: Brooding in Space – SpoilerTake Hadrian Marlowe might be a legend, but we're not sold. In this spoiler-filled episode, the boys break down why the main character feels more like a dramatic space linguist than a sci-fi hero—and why all that brooding never really leads anywhere. Rich gives some credit to the worldbuilding, but Ryan hits page 300 wondering when things will pick...

The boys are back to break down Project Hail Mary and it's all spoilers, space friends, and score regrets. Rich realizes in real time that his rating might be way too low, and they dig into why the book’s flashback format worked so well. It’s no surprise that two guys who started a podcast just to keep talking to each other fell hard for one of the greatest fictional friendships of all time. C...

Join Rich and Ryan as they launch into Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir in this spoiler-free FastTake. They talk science and space bromance while breaking down what worked, what surprised them, and whether this book is worth your precious reading hours. No spoilers just unfiltered opinions and maybe a few accidental physics lessons.

Join Rich and Ryan as they dive into Will of the Many by ⁠James Islington⁠ in this spoiler-free FastTake! Does Rich shamelessly claim credit for a term someone has probably (definitely) thought of before (“Sci-Fan”)? Is Ryan actually vibing with this book? All that and more as they break down one of the hottest reads in sci-fi/fantasy—without spoiling a single plot twist.

Strap in for the spoiler-filled chaos as Rich and Ryan dive deep into Will of the Many by ⁠James Islington⁠. Rich forces Ryan to talk about Red Rising (again), confidently mispronounces nearly every character’s name, and the boys attempt the impossible: applying math to magic. Along the way, they unpack major plot twists, debate moral dilemmas, and get unexpectedly real about the choices character...

Rich and Ryan give you the 411 on who they are, why they started Hot Take Books , and how the show works. Naturally, there's plenty of banter—Rich forgets he's a Star Wars fan, Ryan declares himself a HUGE SPORTS GUY, and the two debate whether comic books count as books (spoiler: they absolutely do).