“You were challenged beyond the bounds of what could be done, and found a path to make it true.”

In our conversation we talk about the boundaries women have to negotiate to take care of themselves and their families. Survival can look like selfishness and even fair bargains can be traps. In Novik’s story there is a battle between the fire demon Chernobog and the Staryk King of winter. The people of Lithvas are trapped in between. Miryem, Irina, and Wanda find ways to help themselves, their family, their people, and each other.

We linger in a discussion of how sometimes utilitarian arrangements or market transactions between indifferent people can lead to real understanding and even love as they learn and grow and change. Loving one person who is really different from you can open up a whole new world of people to love. We enjoy the twists in the story and the numerous charming references to other stories and folk tales. We also talk about the mentions of tax rolls in the story! Nice work, Naomi Novik! They are rare but always appreciated.

We do leave some questions unanswered, especially whether the Staryk coldness is a kind of virtue or goes too far and becomes a vice. We hope you’ll let us know what you think.

A special thanks to our first-time guest Ashley Zappe whose suggestion of Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver sparked the original idea of having a Romantasy season. Ashley is a psychology professor and science communicator, with a soft spot for speculative fiction. The only thing she loves more than a good romantasy or space opera is the weird and wild realm of actual reality. Her beautiful children's book about New Mexico wildflowers can be found here: https://www.dawnwheat.com/styled-2/

Next up for the Book Club Podcast is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern followed by The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen. You can get your copies of all the books using our affiliate links at our bookshop.org page. When you buy from us, you support us and your favorite indie book store at no additional cost to you. (Christy supports The Secret Nook: Coffee & Books in Conway, Arkansas. Carly supports Collected Works in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Try it! You’ll like it).

You can also subscribe to our email newsletter on Substack and you can join the conversation with other listeners about each episode by leaving comments; or you can support the podcast by tipping us through venmo at @bookclubpod.

We hope you enjoy the opening question and all the ones that come after.

This podcast was made by humans.

“‘I love you,' he whispered, and kissed my brow. 'Thorns and all.'.”

This season starts with one of the biggest titles in the Romantasy genre: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Christy warms to it but Carly remains cold.

What do women want? What do women need? C&C discuss what characters are looking for and what a reader wants from her books. Two important moments in A Court of Thorns and Roses revolve around what Feyre, the main character, is and isn’t willing to say. She hesitates about telling Tamlin she loves him and dire consequences follow. In the end, however, she saves herself, her lover, and the realm when she solves a riddle with love and speaks it out loud.

Romance themes C&C spend some time with are enemies to lovers and magical males. Fantasy themes include reluctant heroines, good versus evil, and the quest to save the world (or at least your corner of it). They also talk about Mr. Darcy, probably more than they should, if we’re being really honest with you, dear listener. (Pride & Prejudice next season, anyone?!?)

Fate and Favor, the sixth and newest book of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series is coming out October 27th, 2026 so there’s definitely more if you like what you hear. We think you could probably get caught up by then if the story captures you like Amarantha captures Feyre.

Next up for the Book Club Podcast is Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, followed by The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. You can get your copies of all the books using our affiliate links at our bookshop.org page. When you buy from us, you send pennies our way and support your favorite indie book store at no additional cost to you. (Christy just made her first order supporting The Secret Nook: Coffee & Books in Conway, Arkansas. It just feels good, people).

You can also subscribe to our email newsletter on Substack and you can join the conversation with other listeners about each episode by leaving comments; or you can support the podcast by tipping us through venmo at @bookclubpod.

We hope you enjoy the opening question and all the ones that come after.

This podcast was made by humans.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle with Carly and Christy
Suncatcher: Seven Days in the Sky by Alia Gee with Carly and Caroline
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson with Carly and Caroline

What do you get when you add some fantasy to your romance novels? Our new season of the Book Club Podcast. This season, we are reading two of the biggest titles in the genre: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. But size isn’t the only thing that matters. We also chose titles we loved or came with rock-solid abs, I mean, recommendations. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen are great choices for when autumn breezes start to rustle and candy corn appears in the aisles. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and Hunting the Heiress: A Romantic Space Fantasy by Kathleen Beatty are also keeping our book ends working.

Some of the themes we will discuss are enemies becoming lovers, fated soul mates, the timeless pairing of grumpy and sunshine personalities, reluctant heroines, found and chosen families, and the quest to save the world (or at least your corner of it). We’ll also talk about what we can learn about female desire from these characters and the popularity of these stories.

Read A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas for our first book discussion, to be released in two weeks. The sixth and newest book of the series Fate and Favor is coming out October 27th so there’s definitely more if you like what you hear. You can get your copy of all the books using our affiliate links here:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Hunting the Heiress by Kathleen Beatty

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

When you buy from us, you send pennies our way and support your favorite indie book store at no additional cost to you.

You can also subscribe to our email newsletter on Substack at bookclubpod.com now and you can join the conversation with other listeners about each episode by leaving comments or you can support the podcast by tipping us through Venmo at @bookclubpod.

Happy Reading!