Tales from the Orc Den

Show Notes In this episode, we’re diving into the tropes that make our monster-loving hearts soar—and the ones that make us want to throw our books across the room. Whether it’s a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, forced proximity, or a trope that just never works for us, we’re getting to the meat about what makes a trope hit just right. Podcast Scavenger Hunt Can you find when we mention these topics? [ ]...

What really makes a book “smutty”? Is it about explicitness, frequency, or something else entirely? And how does that definition shift when we talk about monster romance? In this episode, we’re tackling the age-old question: What defines smut? We’ll explore everything from spice levels to the line between romance and erotica, plus what non-explicit factors make a book sexy. Be sure to rate, review...

If you can't be bothered to actually write it, why should I be bothered to pay for it and read it? EJ, Stacy, and Amy have more bookish thoughts on their noggins, and this is a HEFTY ONE. No, we’re not turning into a tech podcast, but there is no denying AI is here, and it is a part of our world. We’re talking about a lot of different topics that are developing and diving into the technologic...

Many of our discussions are aimed at those already in the Monster Romance genre. This one’s got the baby monster f*ckers in mind. Stacy, EJ, and Amy talk about pitfalls we’ve noticed others run into (not naming names!). And we have wisdom for finding your ideal monster romance gateway. And, yes, we do have some recommendations sprinkled throughout! Authors, Books, and Series We Mention: Dusk Walke...

Amy, EJ, and Stacy are back for 2024! And we’ve got more bookish topics on our brains. A hard truth about the book world is that nothing good lasts forever. That also goes for our favorite series and authors. So, let’s unpack that and dig into some of our favorite authors who have left or pivoted. Authors and Series we mentioned: Erin Raegan’s Pythen series : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42...

It is dark! The holidays are upon us! We have books to recommend getting through now and into the first blossoms of spring.  Stuff we mention in the order we mention it is on our website here . Music is called "Undead Bride" by Pagefire https://soundcloud.com/nerdymetalhead202/undead-bride 

Not every book is for everyone. The trick to being a happy reader is knowing and accepting your limits. In this episode Amy, EJ , and Stacy talk about navigating content warnings and personal limits as readers and content consumers in general. Part of this was instigated by two well-written articles from Bookriot.com and Tor.com , which are linked below. It is a generally common issue though for a...

We talk about explicit sh*t on this podcast. We got the cute little explicit mark on every episode and everything! You could say we’re pretty knowledgeable about racy stuff in books. So that means we all three can appreciate the difference between spicy erotic orc dick written by and for mature adults and educational nonfiction material created with young people in mind. Not everyone can though. T...

Stacy has the main mic for this episode to tell Amy and Liz about Mate for the Alien P*rn Star by Alexis B. Osborne. This is, by far, one of the most unique books we've gotten to talk about and has been referenced in many podcast episodes in the past. Osborne is also a world weaver so Mate for the Alien P*rn Star is but a gateway to a huge, rich world for readers. Books Mentioned: Claimed amo...

It's time for Stacy and Liz to hear Amy talk about The Blooded Labyrinth by S.J. Sanders. If we had a podcast bingo card, then referencing Sanders would get a guaranteed box.  This book first appeared in the first volume of the Monsters in Love Anthologies. It is also part of a universe of stories Sanders has been publishing. So yes, we’re going down a rabbit hole. And we’re taking you with u...

Let’s get into our first “book report” to talk about The Dalwick Demon by Ashley Bennett and the book it first appeared in, the second volume of the Monsters in Love Anthology. EJ explains why The Dalwick Demon stood out for her. Amy and Stacy then join her in discussing the significance of The Dalwick Demon and the Monsters in Love anthologies to the Monster Romance genre. We also have a small ar...

Amy, Stacy, and EJ are here to guide you monster lovers to one of the cheapest, easiest, and most fun ways to expand your list of favorite authors. If you haven't gotten into Anthologies, you must hear us talk about them.  This episode ends on a cliffhanger! This is just episode 1 of 4 because we will talk about our favorite former anthology stories that have become standalone books. That&apo...

About halfway through our super long previous, Amy, Liz, and Stacy found themselves on a long and gratuitous rant about orc culture. Here it is! We talk about our hypothetical fashion and jobs on the mountain. We had a fun and silly time while going a bit off topic from Beauty so here is a bit of bonus content from what was originally a WHOLE AFTERNOON just talking about Finley Fenn's world. ...

She was ruined by an orc. Now his enraged ex wants to finish the job… EJ, Amy, and Stacy have their BIGGEST episode yet. Literally. This is a beast of an episode for this beast of a book. This is truly an Orc Sworn fan's discussion. We go deep into Grisk culture, trauma healing, what this story means for the future of Orc Sworn, and, of course, good orc seed.  Be sure, too, to check out more...

Amy, EJ, and Stacy wrap up The Spider's Mate trilogy with a big hairy episode. We... go on an adventure through the jungle, ask ourselves if spiders really would taste like crabs, and speculate on where the duo known as Tiffany Roberts might go from here.  We have memes so you should invest the whole hour we goof off to at least get what the heck we're talking about. Memes and Sam Griffi...

Stacy, EJ, and Amy are back and talking about the second book of the Spider’s Mate Trilogy, Enthralled by Tiffany Roberts.  The humans are awake from stasis. Queen Zurvashi is really angry. We talk about the Italian Renaissance, how one designs alien dicks, and much more in this eclectic episode. Reference Notes from the Show: Artemisia Gentileschi ( https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/ar...

EJ, Amy, and Stacy dive HARD in this episode into the first book of the The Spider’s Mate Trilogy, Ensnared by Tiffany Roberts. We talk about consent. We talk about the social-political landscape of a war torn matriarchal society that's ruled by one f*cked up b*tch. We also make dirty jokes because this is The Orc Den after all. Tiffany Roberts’s  official website: https://www.authortiffanyro...

EJ, Stacy, and Amy are back and they have such a discussion to weave for you. (that’s a spider reference, FYI.) In this “season” of Tales from the Orc Den we dive into what has become a Monster Romance classic, The Spider’s Mate Trilogy by Tiffany Roberts. In this episode, we spend most of our time laying out who Tiffany Roberts are and their roles helping make the monster romance genre what it is...

Pure, uncut book recs. That’s what we got for you monster lovers and not all of them are monster romance!?! You’re listening to three hardcore book lovers though so this bonus episode was inevitable. Amy, EJ, and Stacy are here to wreck your TBR for the better 💜😈 Authors to check out Loki Renard (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4262126.Loki_Renard) Ashley Bennett ( https://www.goodreads.co...

Amy, EJ, and Stacy come to you with MORE Orc Sworn discussion content this week. This time we’re talking about just dumb fun stuff. What would John do “in real life”? What would Simon put on his go-to music playlist? We talk about that and mention a heaping new pile of books to your TBR and writers to check out on Tumblr.  Wait. Did we say Tumblr? Yes, monster lovers. You need to visit Tumblr. Rec...

It is the first part of our not-goodbye! In this episode, Amy, EJ, and Stacy know this isn’t the end of the podcast or Orc Sworn. So let’s talk about what we know is coming in 2023 for the series. Then we adorn our tinfoil hats to talk about fan theories and fan fantasies.  We kept going for this recording but…we’ll pick that up in part 2! Be sure to check out more awesome stuff by our dear Finley...

“He is my gift to you, this Yule’s Eve. Shall you accept him from me?” The winter holidays are BACK with EJ, Amy, and Stacy fawning over Yuled by the Orcs. Like Offered by the Orc, this is another free book by Finley Fenn in the Orc Sworn series. Yet, this novelette is such a gift for Orc Sworn fans. This episode celebrates getting older and continuing to learn about who you are. Edit as of 2023 M...

He’ll make all her dreams come true… but only if she can pretend to love him. Stacy, EJ, and Amy are sitting together in the therapy circle and talking about this latest installment of Detective Killick…wait! No. We meant The Governess and the Orc. This book gave us mystery, a FMC whose girl group we want to join, and deep reflection on dysfunctional families. Be sure, too, to check out more aweso...

He’s fallen too far to save… but his enemy is going to try. Amy, EJ, and Stacy are giving everything in this episode. You get a history lesson, a mini Bible study, and, of course, one giant impromptu meeting of the Unofficial Keest Fan Club. There’s A LOT packed into something that we *think* was supposed to be a novella? But one of the perks of being a Fenn reader is you get to be a bookish size...

She’s fallen for an angel… but he’s mated to a monster. Oh goodness this is a chonk of an episode! But The Maid and the Orcs by Finley Fenn is a chonk of a book! This book was a milestone for many monster romance readers. In this episode EJ, Amy, and Stacy dig into how this book affected them as readers and how it affected two of the most influential of Orc Sworn’s orcs, Baldr and Drafli. We get d...