Janny Wurts Gets EVEN BETTER? + Trying Romantasy Again - Weekly Reader 2x50

[00:00:00]I'm ready to unveil a whole new title for you. If I never ask, will you never say it? Cuz I'm worried.

[00:00:05]>> Oh, it's getting sad. Just Just strap in.

[00:00:09]>> Is it a swear? Now I'm excited. It sounds big.

[00:00:13]>> No, it's not a swear.

[00:00:14]>> What is it?

[00:00:15]>> Just Just be ready. No, >> it's not time yet.

[00:00:18]>> Oh, for Christ's sake. Okay, talk about a potty mouth. [ __ ] sake.

[00:00:27]Hey, welcome back to Talking Story. My name is John Mid. That right there is my literary wig man. The host with the most, the man that read his first first law book club chat. It was amazing. I loved it. So proud of you. Unbelievable.

[00:00:42]Little Jakey two shows best producer on book read his first chat. I I I took a night off.

[00:00:48]>> You did? I I don't know about you know proud I but it was Noel and Janney so there were plenty of people to talk >> brilliantly about the story that we read. I I did not have to prepare much.

[00:01:01]>> Well, I say I was proud. It was amazing to watch you >> host with the most, man. I thought I thought you did a great job. Awesome job time. It was a great time.

[00:01:09]>> You know what's coming next?

[00:01:10]Announcements.

[00:01:11]>> What announcements do you have?

[00:01:13]>> I I only have one I have one lonely one >> lonely announcement. I way to sell it.

[00:01:18]What is it?

[00:01:18]>> Well, it's lonely because it's it's the only one, but it's pretty darn exciting.

[00:01:23]Pretty amazing. Something that I don't think you're expecting. Given that you've not told me what it is, I'm sure I won't be.

[00:01:29]Discovery Strange Eons book one by me, you, and your amazing, talented mother.

[00:01:34]>> Yes. Has now crossed the boundary of over 800 ratings and reviews on Goodreads.

[00:01:43]800.

[00:01:46]I don't know if I should believe that or not. It feels wrong. You know what I mean? Like I It's That's really cool.

[00:01:54]You could you could call it up and check it. I just look huge thanks to everyone that has given it a try and then >> oh man >> left a rating or review unbel just that is that is so important the lifeblood of all indie writers is to help us get word out there like that just huge >> thanks to everybody. If you haven't checked it out yet want to I think you know check out our website. There's signed copies there.

[00:02:20]>> Yeah absolutely. Yeah, we we do sell signed copies uh paperbacks on our website if you want to check that out.

[00:02:25]And I of course to everybody that left review. My god, thank you. Uh and everybody that's read indie books, go leave reviews of those books, too. It it makes a big difference in the algorithm.

[00:02:35]So, so important. Absolutely.

[00:02:38]Absolutely. You should totally do that.

[00:02:39]Okay, that's all I got. What a good announcement.

[00:02:42]>> See, I told you it's one, but it was it was a good one. It's exciting one. I you keep building me up like you're going to say something that either that I won't like or like a big deal and then you hit me with these really nice sweet things. You act like you have had a lifeful of coming down Christmas morning and I stand behind a door and hit you over the head with a croquet mallet like I've been pretty decent to you >> if I had an >> lock the window bar the doors cuz it's time to close that outside world out.

[00:03:12]Sometimes the world can be the world and come at you. Life can life at you. This is when we just, hey, shut it down. Take some time. Breathe in. Breathe out.

[00:03:20]We're going to talk about art and story and what we got up to this week. Have a little bit of fun. Have a little bit of recharge. Let's have a little bit of recharge time. Grab your favorite frosty beverage and join us. Very excited for this. Wheeler is one of my favorite things that we do. But we got to get into the reads right away cuz there may be more to talk about this week than you're expecting. Uh, I got a stack.

[00:03:41]Let's see what you got a stack of.

[00:03:43]>> I don't technically have a stack, but we'll get to it later. First things first, all right, >> as we mentioned earlier, I did wrap up The Blade Itself by Joe Abocram, the first book in the First Boss series.

[00:03:53]>> Really enjoyed it. Really enjoyed it.

[00:03:55]Uh, I will continue.

[00:03:57]>> Yeah, the Oh man, that ending.

[00:03:59]>> I told you. I told you. How do we talk about this without spoilers? I don't know.

[00:04:04]>> You can't. That's as far as you can say.

[00:04:05]If you want to hear us talk about with spoilers, as we mentioned earlier as well, there's a discussion that I did with no LD Reeds and Jenny Wartz that was so so much fun. This was a buddy read that I did with them and really enjoyed it. Um, can't say that I enjoyed it all the way through cuz it was a bit of a rocky start for me.

[00:04:20]>> Um, in that I didn't quite know >> what to expect other than Grim Dark and I feel like Grim Dark is not totally what I got.

[00:04:29]>> Um, >> yeah.

[00:04:30]>> And that's cool because I like what I got. And Janie made some arguments in our discussion that she thinks this is grim dark. And >> by her definition, I think she is correct. But by my definition of grim dark, I still don't think this totally counts as grim dark. Um, and all of that is to say that this is almost like if the fellowship was just beaten down and hated the world around them.

[00:04:57]>> Mhm. and none of them wanted to say it, >> but each of them had just this little tiny spark of hope that they were too afraid to talk about within them.

[00:05:06]>> I feel the same way.

[00:05:07]>> Maybe it's going to spill out at some point. And that's kind of what I want to continue the series for. I really want to know how these characters grow with those developments. Like this barbaric character, Logan, who >> um again, we're not getting into spoilers, so don't worry. But when you think of the barbarian, you don't think of somebody that would do one of the only altruistic actions in this entire book comes from that barbarian character who unexpectedly saves somebody when it would be much easier not to. Um, and in that he has a bit of a monologue about his expectations and why he did it. And then a few chapters after that, you you get the magician that's a bit of a standin for Gandalf and this fellowship in in some ways, not others. Um, who tells the barbarian, you know, I think you're selling yourself short and goes into this really amazing scene that that just kind of dissects what grim dark can be. And that to me the moments of this book where in the darkest times there was a moment of hope or camaraderie or love even that was when Joe Abberrombie was doing his best work in this book to me. I loved every minute of those scenes. And that lined up with the thing that you and I were talking about a few weeks ago where like some of these scenes are just like you could leave it as is and storyboard it and shoot it right away. It would adapt totally so well.

[00:06:42]>> Um the plot structure would be difficult to move over for a TV show, but some of these scenes are so cinematic and so lived in >> and the characters just jump right off the page at you because >> those scenes are so tight. so solid um because they're just brimming with voice, with motivation um in this world around them and the the the world is >> not as full as I wanted only because the backstory for things were so cool that I wanted all the answers right away, which >> this is book one. Obviously, I'm I'm not going to get that. So, that I I can't even say it's a real disappointment because I still really loved it. But overall, so enjoyed this book. Going to be picking up book two at some point. I just don't know when.

[00:07:30]>> Yeah, I I think that I think I have heard uh Abberrobi say in a in a interview or something that, you know, maybe even unbeknownst to himself, he wrote an epic fantasy series that's nine books long because all of it Oh, wow.

[00:07:45]>> As you start to move through the standalone, which is I got one more to go. Um, right. Some you see some familiar faces, you see some characters pop up, you see some arcs continue, so you know, some surprises come your way.

[00:07:59]Um, and then I think in the final trilogy, it's, you know, it's a grand tapestry of grand stories. So, you're just at the very very forefront of it.

[00:08:09]I'm so excited for you because even after I finish just the first trilogy, there's so much to love. There's so much coming your way that I'm just so happy that you had a good enough time that you want to keep going. Makes me happy.

[00:08:25]>> Definitely did. It did feel like at the end of the book like we're I I don't want to say the whole book felt like a prologue, but it definitely felt like I don't even know if we've started the journey yet. You know what I mean? Like I we're not even marching toward Mordor with the ring, so to speak. This is very early days uh in this series. Um, and in some ways that was really cool. In some ways it was frustrating in ways that I think it was supposed to be.

[00:08:53]>> Um, and if this is the very early days and this is how good it is, I can't imagine what it becomes later. So, I'll figure that out.

[00:09:00]>> What I will tell you like how are you feeling about Jazal? Still thinking he's a tool, right?

[00:09:04]>> Oh, yeah. That's that's not changed.

[00:09:08]>> This is this is what I'm saying. how much farther you have to travel and go with these characters because >> I'm almost positive that changes for you for it did for me. So I I really think >> I see some people saying Jazelle might be their favorite character. I've seen like mumblings of that in comments. So I assume >> he has a long way to go. But for now >> dude sucks quite a bit.

[00:09:29]>> I I'm just You're really on to something with the stage setting, the character introductions, the introductions to the world. you you you these these characters just like you have barely started taking their steps through their arc. So just I'm so happy you're going to keep going. That's awesome.

[00:09:47]>> Definitely going to keep going. Um and other thing that I'll kind of pair with my what I'm reading next cuz it wasn't very long. I just read snippets um of the Bavad Gita which is for work that Yubi and mom are doing. So I don't want to get too much into it but um >> we really can't >> yeah a holy Hindu text where a soldier is visited by the god Vishnu uh because he's having second thoughts about going to war. Um there there's like a power grab for the throne kind of thing. It's him against his cousin. They both think that they deserve the throne. They're about to go to war for it. And now he's looking at all these people and thinking, "Man, these are these are just dads and teachers and sons and these are regular people and everyone's about to die and I don't know if this is worth it or not." Uh, and then the god comes down to him and and delivers this lovely explanation about how the universe works. Uh, and how it's inevitability that all these people are going to die because I say so. I just need you to make the decision. And in that way, you are my pawn. And that's okay. Uh, that's that is the most notes. Uh, dude, it's been out for quite a while now. Uh, that is the most like cliffnotes way of me to explain that. Doesn't even touch on so many brilliant things in this story. Um, but I I I kind of skimmed through and read a whole bunch of snippets of the Bavad Gita, read a bunch of listened to a bunch of summaries and watched some videos about people talking about it for something that we're doing right now. And and uh now I wonder how many wheels are turning out there. What in the world does that have to do with the next part of Strange Eons? You'll see.

[00:11:27]way later. Um, not tomorrow, not the next day, not not for many days after that. Some someday you'll you'll find out. And that that kind of pairs with a conversation that I was having with uh Janie Wartz after our book discussion for The Blade Itself, which was um I was telling her that, you know, I wanted to get better at character voice, wanted to get better at writing, so I needed to be reading the things that uh helped me with that.

[00:11:53]>> Um and she told me how stupid of an idea that was. Uh, and I I tried not to cry.

[00:11:58]No, I'm kidding. She was very sweet about it. Um, but she said, "Character voice comes from you. You need to put yourself into that. It doesn't come from what you read. You You need to be reading what gives you inspiration and what excites you." Uh, so >> the thing that I'll be picking up next is Moby Dick. I'm getting back into >> Yeah, I know you were loving that. You were loving that. Originally, I I was thinking I'm going to pick up Dolores Clayborn uh by Stephen King, but I I don't know that it's what I'm feeling pulled to right now. I'm feeling more pulled to Moby Dick and and maybe this next month is going to be a lot of mood reads as I pick up and put down certain things and try and find what I'm looking for at the moment. Uh but for now, >> Moby Dick is what I need. So, that's what I'm reading next.

[00:12:41]>> I love that because that is quite informative as to what we're working on as well. So, you're you're right in the pocket, I think, of where you need to be.

[00:12:48]>> Yes.

[00:12:49]>> For us getting some things across the finish line here.

[00:12:51]>> Yeah. Also heavily uh inspirational. And I I think the chapter I left off is actually mom was telling me the other day like you left off at one of the chapters that's going to be of the most use to you. So, >> yeah.

[00:13:03]>> Get cracking.

[00:13:04]>> Well, I think you're cutting yourself short cuz I think you read something else, didn't you? Didn't you have a short story?

[00:13:09]>> Oh, you're very right. Yeah, I also read uh Meet the President by Zadeie Smith, which is a short story that we did for talking short stories that mom and I do on the Patreon where she has come up with a whole bunch of short stories that is a thing that we used to do together where I would tell my mom, "Oh, I want to get better at blank in my writing."

[00:13:27]And she would say, "Well, you need to read this and learn this tool from it."

[00:13:31]So, she's put together a whole bunch of short stories that we're reading together throughout the year. This time it was Meet the President by Zadi Smith.

[00:13:38]Um, and it was a really lovely time.

[00:13:40]Have you read this?

[00:13:42]>> I have not read this one. No, >> N hadn't either. Um, it is about a a boy kind of in the far future who is sitting on a a dock wearing his VR goggles thinking that he's playing a video game even though climate change has taken effect around him and there's like barely a beach left and there's horrible weather patterns and huge social strife happening to the lower class behind him in the city. uh and he's just there playing a video game, shooting up mythical creatures and trying to save the president. And uh it's really imaginative the way that she uses those VR goggles to be a bridge between reality um in its true form and the virtual reality that is kind of the the standin for his disassociation from what's really happening. And there are times where the boy can kind of scroll and split the two realities so that he's seeing both at once. Um, and it becomes this really cool stutter effect where sometimes you don't know in space and time where the boy is anymore. So some things that are definitely not real sound like they might be real for half a second and vice versa. um until you get to this ending that I won't spoil, but it it just brings all of that in around to a way uh that really solidifies this boy's relationship to the reality uh that's in front of him in almost like a a Russian storytelling fashion where it's like the last two sentences change everything and then you leave.

[00:15:22]That's that's the end. You you drop your pen and you walk away. And it it really enjoyed it. Great time. Highly recommend it.

[00:15:30]>> Oh, wow. That that sounds I like that flicker effect, that stutter effect.

[00:15:33]That's useful, too. There you're doing all the good.

[00:15:36]>> Picking up all kinds of stuff.

[00:15:37]>> You are doing >> You are doing all the good this week, man. That sounds like a good week. I You You wrapped up a read, you started a new read, you're filling the well with some stuff that we really need right now to get our work across the finish line.

[00:15:51]>> Yeah.

[00:15:51]>> Kudos to you, man. Thank you. Filling the well is another thing we'll get to later as well. What a tease that is. I know. But what about you? What did you read this week? Well, I did pretty good.

[00:16:03]I finished last week. I had a couple hundred pages left. I have finished The Sword of Kaien by ML Wang. Now, one question before you get too far. Okay.

[00:16:16]Just yes or no. Did you cry?

[00:16:19]>> No. I I I didn't I did not shed a tear.

[00:16:22]Uh, yes I did.

[00:16:25]It wasn't at the I did. I did. I got a little weepy, but not at the very not at the not not at the end end, but there something happened earlier.

[00:16:32]>> Okay. Okay. Fair enough. Fair enough.

[00:16:33]>> Okay. Yeah. No, it did. It did. It did make it did make me emotional.

[00:16:37]>> Um, and I was sneaking in a read at work. So, >> got a little misty.

[00:16:42]>> Got a little got a little misty, but not full-blown. So, I had a couple hundred pages left. I had some folks tell me that have read this in the past saying, "Well, you know, the ending, this was like supposed to be part of a series and she was kind of, you know, maybe setting some things up here. Uh, so maybe the ending doesn't quite work as well as some of the other things." I had zero problems. I had absolutely zero problems from beginning to end of of this book.

[00:17:08]The beginning people I've I've heard some folks say, "It moves a little slow for me." like I I you it's like yeah move's a little slow. It's a little bit of a slow burn. We're lingering. We're taking time with the characters. They're allowed to live. They're allowed to breathe. They're allowed to take up space. They're allowed to make mistakes.

[00:17:24]They're allowed to live life and be real. So when the things start happening with these emotional gut punches down the road by the by the time we get to the end or the third act, let's say the ending, they register. They mean something. They they cause a visceral reaction to me when a surprise happens because I've taken a journey with them. I've been to school with them. I've met new friends with them. I've I've had my ideas of what reality is shattered with them. And then when when things start crashing down around them and these emot emotional gut punches happen, it's like, yes, that's quite effective. So, I love the slow burn at the beginning. I love that the time is taken to introduce us to this family and this village and this world, right? Then when we really get into it, when we start to see uh because this is again dealing with themes of propaganda, history, honor, tradition, familial love, uh sacrifice, so so much, right?

[00:18:29]Um, so when we start to start to see some of that propaganda stripped away, some of that traditional honor that you've lived by stripped away and you see what the reality really is and some of the darkness that comes about with that, it crashes in on you as well as the characters because that time was taken at the beginning. I think for me then by the end even though uh she may have been setting up another series I found the ending quite effective because this ending uh shows us after all is said and done. There is a new status quo. There is a new world.

[00:19:07]There is new meaning. There are new relationships. Things have moved forward from where they started.

[00:19:13]And we take stock of that. We take stock of that by how we feel about each other.

[00:19:17]how we feel about our world, how we feel about what we've lost and what we've gained, and also how we feel about our own past and our own beings and where we've come from. How is that past representative of us now after we've been through things? And it has a little bit of that Czechovian thing you're talking about that the Russians do so well is once the story is over, does it set up some things that could go forward? Well, yes, absolutely. Just like life would. There's never a perfect that's all folks on any day's worth of life. There's always dangling threads, right? Just like there are here. And we have that Anton check off thing of just I'm dropping the pin because the story ends right here. The themes have been addressed. The arcs are finished.

[00:20:00]They've gone on their journey. Not to say life is over. Not to say there's something around the corner because there absolutely is. But this part of the story that I'm sharing with you, Miss ML Wonga, is over. and I dropped the pin and I thought it was entirely effective. I absolutely loved it. I absolutely if you had not had that ending for me, some of the earlier moments of flashbacks that you do get in this to get some uh some weight on some characters past about where they've come from and who they are now, it wouldn't have rung as true for me. And that last little bit of checking back in with those past brought weight and gravitas to those flashbacks and and and and made an impact on me. I thought it absolutely worked. There was not a portion of this book that did not work for me. So much so that when I redo my favorite standalones of all time, this is going to be on it. It was that level. I I really really had a great time with this book. the character journeys, the the the drama. Oh my gosh, the surprises, all of it completely worked with with me. I was a huge fan of of this book.

[00:21:12]Absolutely. The beginning, of course, the middle and the end. And if you're an action fan, that slow burn you set up, it does not stay slow. It is going to have some huge battles, some huge set pieces, some jaw-dropping use of elemental magic and martial arts that you would just Oh, I would love to see this filmed, but I didn't have to because I could see it all right up here as this story unwound in front of me. Ju just I have no complaints about this book. I enjoyed every bit of it. I cannot wait coming up this Saturday to talk with everyone at book club about this read. We've been hitting each other up on Discord and I think a lot of people are really enjoying it. Maybe not everyone as much as me. Some people maybe had some issues or problems, but everyone overall is enjoying it. So, I can't wait for us to get together this Saturday to talk about the whole thing.

[00:22:02]That's really cool. I'm going to have to lay out a challenge for you. Okay. At some point, we're going to have to do your top 10 favorite fantasy of all time. No standalones list. No series list. No trilogies list. You can't split them up. You have to make a decision.

[00:22:23]>> Nope. You got favorite series, you got favorite trilogies, you got favoriteies are a series. It is a sequential style of story. It is a series.

[00:22:32]>> No, I make the break. I make the break.

[00:22:35]>> Soon enough, you're going to break it on into now I got my chronicles list. Now, now I got my ballads, my songs, my sagas.

[00:22:43]>> You're never going to change me. Accept me for who I am. I just want to be loved. Is that so wrong? Look, this is a great book. That's all I'm saying. Just take it. Just take that. Put it in your pocket. Someday you should probably pick this up and read it. I I like this.

[00:22:58]>> It very much sounds like my kind of thing. Which, by the way, it is an indie book, which means it is in the description along with all other indie books that we mention on the channel.

[00:23:05]So, go ahead and pick up The Sword of Kagan by Emma Wong for yourself if it sounds like your kind of thing. Also, if I was to make a favorite like eastern or Asian inspired fantasy, this right along read 10 of those.

[00:23:20]>> I don't know, but I need to.

[00:23:23]>> What did you pick up next? I did another volume of One Piece. I did volume number 34. Here we are getting into water 7. We get to Water City. So, we we we wrap up our challenge with the Foxy Pirates. A lot of fun there. We move on. we get to Water City. I think we're really getting to it here. I think we're getting to it.

[00:23:44]I think we're getting to the good stuff of Water 7. I can't wait to get deeper in. Uh we we we're meeting some of the some of the characters here. We're meeting the mayor. We're meeting the ship rights. We're kind of kind of seeing what's going on there in the in in Water City. Setting the stage, like you say, getting ready for what people say is oftentimes one of their favorite arcs of the entire series. So, I'm very excited to get deeper in. I think I think we're getting to the start. I think we're getting into it now.

[00:24:16]>> Yeah, man. There always is that moment between sagas where there's just like there's three or four volumes where it's like h we're just going to kind of mess around for a little bit, which is always fun, but it's it gets really exciting when you get into the meat and bones of it. Yeah. I think like volume 33, I think the Foxy Davy Jones challenge like it was fun. I had a great time. I really did enjoy it.

[00:24:37]>> Uh, but at 34 I think I'm Okay, we hit Water City now.

[00:24:42]>> Ooh.

[00:24:43]>> I mean, if the saga is called Water 7 and you hit Water City, I would assume >> that's what we're moving.

[00:24:48]>> That's what I'm That's what I'm thinking. That's what I'm thinking. I love me some uh How can I put this? I love me the I love the transportation of Water City. Oh, okay. I don't know what that means, but sure.

[00:25:00]>> I love I love me I want a water cow.

[00:25:03]That's all I'm going to say.

[00:25:04]>> A water. I think they're a water horse.

[00:25:07]Water cow. Water. I think they're awesome. I want me one. I'm going to have to look this up. After that little diversion that I truly enjoyed, it was time for our last reads of the month.

[00:25:20]And that, you know, that means that we're getting into Initiates Trial by Janney Wartz. This is Wars of Light and Shadow volume nine. Number nine.

[00:25:32]>> Yes. I'm about a hundred and so pages in. Now I do a section like a section is three chapters and some postcripts. I do a sexy in a day because this is I like to mle things over. I like to take my time. I like to be methodical about this. And what am I going to say right off?

[00:25:53]Loved it. I loved this so much because even Brian had to even Brian had to I can't I'm not going to say what happens at the very beginning of this. Yeah.

[00:26:02]>> I mean the very beginning of this I'm talking page one. I'm saying you open page you open it and you go what how do Wait a minute.

[00:26:13]>> Yeah.

[00:26:13]>> We left we left off with how does that even and I'm not the only one because Brian started reading it and he texted me like did we just have a Yes, we did. And I think it's a stroke I think look I think it's a stroke of genius with Jany. It it re-energizes it rejuvenates. It restarts it. What could you do after Storm Fortress? You had built up to such crescendo. You had Everyone had had such a moment and she does something here. She starts with such a curveball that you're like, "Oh, wow. We strap in.

[00:26:57]This is this is this is some new territory. And I thought it was a great I thought it was a stroke of genius, a great way to start.

[00:27:08]Characters, you know, have a new take, a new sheen, a new way to get to know them in a different light.

[00:27:17]Loved it. Absolutely loved it. It is difficult for me to stick with one section a day. I this one I'm having a hard time with sticking one section a day.

[00:27:28]>> I did hear from Janie that her goal because she knows that you do this. Her goal is that eventually the story gets too good for you and you have to break that.

[00:27:37]>> I'm actually I actually got close with this one the past couple days. Like I got to the end of it and I was like because you do like the three chapters that make up kind of a section and then there's like just little postcripts of things that are happening other places, other parts of the world, other characters that maybe this section weren't in the center spotlight and you'll get to those parts and you'll read those postcripts and you're like, >> "Oh, is that what the next chapter like?" Oh, >> oh, it gets it's gotten Again, such a fresh new take to look at these characters that you've traveled with for this long. Amping up the story still, even though this is starting a new arc.

[00:28:21]I just thought stroke of genius. I absolutely love what she did here to start. I always know that you're like really really enjoying a book by the way when I I don't have your perspective on this, but I assume this is what happens.

[00:28:35]You're reading and then something happens that gets you really excited.

[00:28:38]You close the book. You pick up your phone and you call me.

[00:28:42]>> Yeah.

[00:28:42]>> I pick up and you go, "Dude, >> that's that's how I know." And I think that what happened on page one is that's exactly what happened.

[00:28:52]>> Exactly what I did, right?

[00:28:54]>> Cuz I know even though you're just in in book two, you feel about the series like I do.

[00:28:59]>> So I had I had to pick up the phone and call you and go, >> "Dude, but what else are you reading?" cuz you usually read something while you're mulling over Jany's work.

[00:29:09]>> Yes. And I am buddy readading Kushiel's dart with Bookorn. This is kind of We kind of did a romance together and then we left it up to everyone in comments.

[00:29:20]The next one we should read. This kind of had the most comments and one hands down. So Bookorn and I are now reading this. I'm like a little over 200 pages in question. Yes. is the reason that you were tempted to continue reading more of Janney words than you thought because you're not enjoying this one so much.

[00:29:45]That might be one of the reasons.

[00:29:48]It's like a tale of two books. I am enjoying this one so much.

[00:29:54]This one I'm not okay.

[00:29:57]I'm about 220 pages in. Okay.

[00:30:01]>> It's a great book. I can see why it's popular. I can see why people love it.

[00:30:04]It's It's well written. It's everything about it is done very I mean I do believe we're talking about Kushiel's art by Jacqueline Kerry. I do believe Miss Carrie is quite the artist and she's created something very impressive here. I'm just having issues with it.

[00:30:23]>> Uh I don't know how I don't know how much I want to get into all of the issues. I will say one of the issues I'm having is it is told and this is something that we wrestle with all the time in our work is perspective and from what viewpoint is the story being told what does that mean you know all those kind of things that we wrestle with all the time and this is told from a very close perspective of Fedra who who has Kushiel's dart which is a little imperfection in her eye um and because it's told in such close perspective of her real of her reality starts as she's a very young girl moving through her life and the camera stays very focused on her. The story stays very focused on her. So for me, what that does to me is when we start to get into all of this political intrigue and court intrigue swirling all around her, a malstrm around her of aristocrats and families vying for power and trying to take over this seat of power, that seat of power playing the game to move forward. and all of this is going on which is really the weft and Wayne of what's happening in this world in the book. It's just a carousel and a litany of names and families swirling around and it means very little to me because my perspective is so closely tied with this main character. I don't have these battles that are happening. I really have no view of them. I'm this is not multip.

[00:31:56]I'm not on the front lines here. I'm not in this family seat here. I'm not a member of that royal family there that is vying for control and now suffering a defeat. I don't know. I'm just hearing whisperings of things here and there and this and my camera is fully focused close. So, it's like all of this that's going on really has no allure to me at all.

[00:32:17]Really has no pull for me at all. Uh, and I'm not entirely finding the main character of Fedra that we're following this closely, this very closely to be that interesting to to me either. I'm sure other people would. Other people love it. I could see why they would.

[00:32:35]It's very well done. Uh, I'm truly not saying anything against the quality of the writing or the book or the story.

[00:32:43]It's just not working for me. Has the romance started to build yet? cuz I feel like that's more what usually gets you.

[00:32:52]You are a bit of a romantic. I'm going to say this. There is sex. There is no romance. Really? I'm 220 pages in. I've yet to see any anything that I would say remotely resembles romance to me.

[00:33:07]Sex. Yes.

[00:33:09]>> Not what I expected. For me, there's no romance here. Other people could probably argue very successfully that there is. Sure. H yeah, I could see love between characters. Even I could argue it, but I don't see it.

[00:33:24]>> I I think the thing that you were hoping for after reading what was the first one, the first romantic that you and Bookborn did?

[00:33:29]>> Uh it it was a pin cold, Spark of the Everflame.

[00:33:32]>> After reading Spark of the Everflame, I think the the romance between the main character and the main love interest was very much like not necessarily healthy, not totally understandable. got like a bit of the emo boy thing going on, but he's also not I don't know why this main character is attracted to him kind of thing. And I think going into this book, you were more looking forward to all right, this is well thought of in the romanty space.

[00:33:59]So much so that it's just considered a romance book before romantisy was even really a term that was used. So maybe we're going to get a lot more of an understanding of how relationships really work in here. And it sounds like that's not what you're getting. that this is not uh romance healthy these kind of things for me not a part of this at least this first 220 pages so we shall see how it goes moving forward >> fair enough was that everything you read for the week >> that was it time for me to let you down you ready >> oh wait no I don't want to be let down >> good news and bad news we'll start with the bad news >> no who makes these decisions I don't want to start >> made the decision ision right now. I'm starting with the bad news.

[00:34:43]>> You make the worst You make the worst decisions. Go ahead.

[00:34:46]>> I am not caught up on House of the Dragon.

[00:34:48]>> Oh, so you still haven't watched.

[00:34:50]>> I still haven't. I'm I am After tonight, after the episode comes out tonight, I will be three episodes behind. I have a lot to catch up on.

[00:34:56]>> No, you should be two. You weren't caught up last week, but tonight is the episode after the one you weren't. So, it should be two.

[00:35:02]>> Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's two. Either way, I have plenty of catch up. It's >> two or three. Yeah. Yeah. I'll have to let you talk about House of the Dragon later. The good news is I did watch some interesting things. For the first time in a while, I watched a couple new movies. Okay, speaking of refilling the well, I I needed a little more. I get a lot of my imagery from movies, so I I wanted to catch up on some horror movies that have been popular recently.

[00:35:29]>> So, I watched Iron Lung directed by Markiplier.

[00:35:32]>> I know you've been wanting to see this.

[00:35:34]>> I have for for a while since it came out. I wanted to see it. Um, just didn't get the chance to go to the theater.

[00:35:40]That's okay. Um, >> well, that's not that's not what you were hoping for.

[00:35:52]>> Here's here's the thing. As far as like imagery that I got out of it, really imaginative imagery. Like, >> that's great.

[00:36:01]>> I thought the direction was really cool.

[00:36:03]Uh, this is an adaptation from a video game. I won't go too much into like the backstory cuz quite honestly I don't totally know it and that's part of the problem. But there's humanity is kind of on the edge of extinction. There was this cosmic event that we don't really understand but all of the planets and stars basically just blinked out of existence. We don't know where everything went. So the only surviving humans are those that were on ships and stations at the time. That's the that's all that's left of humanity. And somehow, I guess, they find this moon that has an ocean of blood on it, and they think there's resources in there that will save humanity so that they can have food again. I I don't totally know.

[00:36:44]Maybe you need to watch the movie again.

[00:36:45]Maybe it wasn't in there, which is my suspicion. Um, but surprise surprise, there's a monster in that Ocean of Blood. I kind of wish Markiplier wasn't the one who wrote the movie. There were there were a lot of times that it just I the characters make a decision that just the motivation doesn't track for me. Why are we doing this next that I I'm not understanding the cause and effect of what just happened that would lead this character to do this. But >> it advances the story. So I I understand that. especially at the end of the second act and all the way through the third that was like I almost don't even know what's going on anymore. Like you've just not explained this to a degree where I don't know a lot of the backstory that you're alluding to. And then after the movie was over I I read like a Wikipedia summary of what the movie was about. And there were three or four times in that summary in that summary that I was like that's what happened in that scene? I had no idea.

[00:37:47]Yeah, that's not that's not good.

[00:37:48]>> But it was really cool when I was looking at it.

[00:37:52]>> So I I guess I recommend it. Maybe it seems like a lot of people liked it. I for me I thought imagery good. I thought it was really cool to look at.

[00:38:02]>> There were a lot of moments that were like ah that that's cosmic horror goodness right there. I got love to see that.

[00:38:07]>> Um but >> a big majority of the movie I was just kind of confused and frustrated. The other movie I watched was very different. And that was >> that was Obsession.

[00:38:19]>> I almost watched that this week, too.

[00:38:21]>> Dude, you have to watch this. Like, you >> okay have to watch this.

[00:38:27]>> This is like I I have the way to sell it to you. You ready?

[00:38:32]>> Okay. Yeah. This is like a modern take on taking our current generation who is dating each other and twisting it to be a really dark, messed up, upside down version of Romeo and Juliet. Like down to the tropes within the story, it is Shakespeare twisted to be extremely messed up.

[00:39:05]And it's okay. All right. I will check that out. I will check that out.

[00:39:09]>> I have nothing bad to say about this movie.

[00:39:12]>> I know RNJ backwards and forwards, I would say.

[00:39:16]>> Yes.

[00:39:18]>> So, I I think there's a lot of moments that you would recognize.

[00:39:23]>> Okay. I'm going to go in with that in mind. That sounds pretty cool. If that's the if that's the case, highly recommend it. There were like a couple moments for me. There's like Oh, you could have made the sound a little bit different there cuz you have there there's like a little toy called the one wish willow that makes a sound when you pull it out >> um to to make a wish. And the he had some music playing over that while the sound was playing and it was like rising for tension. And it was like it almost took me out of it cuz you have two sounds laying over each other and the tempos don't match. Um so it's like the the tension was broken there for me.

[00:39:58]It's like really small things like that.

[00:40:01]It's like oh that kind of clinkedked but then I was right back in cuz I his >> the use of lighting with absolutely no budget was pretty astounding. It it was >> everybody was on their agame. And I have to say really quick, uh I believe her name is Indie Navaret, who plays the the main uh woman, Nikki.

[00:40:23]Oh my god. I I hope she gets nominated for an Oscar. It was that good.

[00:40:28]>> Wow. Okay. She was >> All right. I will definitely I will definitely check this out.

[00:40:32]>> Yes, you should. But that is everything that I watched this week. So I am caught up with House of the Dragon. Okay. And I am current except for what comes on tonight. I will catch up with that.

[00:40:44]>> It's the I think the best season so far.

[00:40:47]>> It's still best season so far because you've said that before or because it continues to be better.

[00:40:53]>> It's still it continues to be better. It is cohesive. It has a thrust. It has movement. It is it it is all moving to something. And in some in some of the other seasons, I thought, "Oo, that episode's a high point. I love that."

[00:41:07]Overall, I'm a fan of the series. But but there's always been some episodes like well we were kind of wool gathering through that hour weren't we like you know >> should we not maybe be focused on not happening here like we are very focused we it is all moving according to a plan and it is all building episode to episode if if we are not having huge momentous occurrences uh and set pieces and moments we're having huge intimate moments for character everything is building one on top of the other and I feel the strongest season so far. I have not read the book. I don't know how far they're branching off or varying. I really don't know if they're doing a good job adapting this or not. I because I have not read Fire and Blood yet, but I I hope to soon.

[00:42:01]But I Well, I have to say it's my favorite season so far. You um have watched the first two episodes, I believe, right? I and I I've watched I believe like half of the third and then I got busy.

[00:42:12]>> So you can see if you watched half of the third you can see it gets quieter.

[00:42:16]Yes.

[00:42:18]>> But yet still as intense and still meaningful and still moving. Yeah. I would say like for me the best way to explain it is that at the end of I believe it's the second episode uh something happens where somebody's put in a position where all right you have to do this thing that is like morally a hard decision and then something happens directly after that that is like ooh now this is incredibly personal and everybody in the room is in trouble >> and from what I saw in the first half of the next episode was just like we're just mounting those troubles over and over and over again to build tension with these people so that they're all staring daggers at each other and they don't know what to do next is what I was feeling. So, what else have I watched?

[00:43:01]>> Yes. What else have you been watching?

[00:43:03]>> Okay. I am caught up with Silo.

[00:43:05]>> Oh, okay. Yeah. You've been enjoying this a lot.

[00:43:08]>> Um, this one is starting starting to Yeah, it's the same feeling I had with last season. It's like, oh, this is starting to the pace is a little little slow. I like where it's going. think I like what they're doing. I like how they're adapting it because I have read the source material here. I like all the decisions they're making.

[00:43:29]It's trifle on the slow side for me. Um but then that season that I had kind of stalled on when I went back. It's like I went back and that's right when it took off. So I'm assuming the same thing's going to happen this season. It's going to build to a point and then, you know, accelerate right through the end. So, but I am caught up on that. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I really I think overall great job. I mean Apple TV Plus is quality all the time. It's a really interesting job on the adaptation. I'm glad they're doing what they're doing as they get into this area of the trilogy.

[00:44:03]Not I wasn't sure they were going to do it and I'm so happy they are. Uh I'm also caught up on Sugar.

[00:44:08]>> Oh yeah. Yeah. You were enjoying this too. The pace slow down on that one or still trucking?

[00:44:12]>> No. Colin Frell, you know the part of this because it's that noir detective kind of vibe, right? And the the case here in this season, season 2, is so twisty and and and weird that it just it's very it keeps you very involved because it's like, oh man, it's hard to parse out exact. It there's a lot involved, a lot going on, not only with Sugar's world, but this case that he's in at the moment. And uh got a bad feeling about it. I really do. I have a bad feeling about it. But I'm caught up on that. I'm enjoying that.

[00:44:46]>> Okay. I watched a movie this week. I almost watched Obsession.

[00:44:50]>> Okay. What did you watch?

[00:44:52]>> I watched it's a documentary about uh Lauren Michaels. It's called Lauren.

[00:44:59]>> And it's just about >> him starting Saturday Night Live in the 70s to current his run on the show, his philosophies of how the show works and comedy. Uh a lot of interviews with so many cast members over all of these decades. Uh and it was it was very very interesting. I find it very interesting.

[00:45:20]It was really the way he uh sees the job of a producer, the way he sees comedy, the it was all really really a I enjoyed it. Was a great time. I thought a really great documentary. I might have to check that out. I think I saw a trailer for it around the time that it was coming out and I I forgot about it afterward.

[00:45:38]>> Yeah, I found it very I It's like an hour and 40 minutes long or so. Um, >> oh, that's not very long.

[00:45:45]>> And it went by like that. I I was just very I was really enthralled by how he how he handles cast members, how he handles network execs, uh, his ideas of what comedy is and counterculture is, and how the show fits in. And it I I really uh I really I really enjoyed it.

[00:46:09]Was I really found it to be very very interesting. You've been doing a lot of documentaries lately. Yeah, I've been on a little bit of a documentary kick. I've been I've been had a good time with him.

[00:46:18]Stop it. I don't know why. Just felt like it. Watch Obsession instead.

[00:46:22]>> I will try and watch that this week. Now that you say it's Romeo and Juliet, I'm going to come back next week and say, >> "Okay, you're right." Or, >> but now an idiot if I don't know what I'm talking about.

[00:46:33]>> Yeah. If I if I come back and say, "Okay, what do you know about Romeo and Julia?" Because this was not it. It's been a while since I read it or saw it, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. We will find out. You will be put to the test, my friend.

[00:46:46]>> I again, it's like dark twisted inverse Romeo and Julia. So, you know, you said all the tropes were there and all the moments were there. So, we're going to find out. Okay. All right. I I just want to set your expectations correctly so that I don't look like a fool is what I'm trying to do.

[00:47:01]>> All right. Well, we'll find out next week. Maybe you shouldn't watch it. Now, I'm worried. People are going to tune in to see. Don't tune in. Stop watching videos, please.

[00:47:10]>> Yeah, you are the absolute worst. You know what? You need to go watch Lauren because your idea of of >> I don't have the producer brain. I really don't.

[00:47:21]>> Telling people don't watch like that's that's not that's not it. That's not what you're supposed to do. How about you all? Why are you watching this? And please stop. Let us know in the comments everything you've been reading or watching. My dad here is going to reply to every single one just because it's what he likes to do. I just I can't.

[00:47:37]These are our correspondents, directors and producers. They do all the heavy lifting. They keep the lights on. They keep the channel going. They run our book club. Hey, they take over our channel once a month for Town Square when it's coming up. And if you haven't hit that subscription button, unbelievable. It's been life-changing for us for them to be a part of our lives. It could be life-changing for you, too. And when your life changes like that, you kind you kind of feel a little bit of a tingle inside. It's the best. It's absolutely the best.

[00:48:02]>> Actually, it's the worst because you know what? It's it's misadvertising.

[00:48:06]You're telling all these people see you say I'm a bad producer that I'm telling everybody oh stop watching which is bad I'll see that but you're over here selling lies. How bad is that? I'm going to call Lauren. I I bet you he would side with me on this.

[00:48:21]>> Oh dial him up right now. I'm not going to put him on the spot by putting him on the video, but I will right after we hit the button and turn this off. Fraud.

[00:48:32]Thanks everybody. If you're still here, you're book people and in our book that makes you the best people. Thanks for joining us on I'm going to take some time to to deal with some anger management issues here with my kid, but thank you for joining us here on Talking Story. What the hell does that mean?