Lit Witches

Penguin Books Australia
  • 5.0 (6)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Lit Witches opens the portal to fantasy for readers, writers and all things in between. Hosted by Adelaide Jensen, take a seat at The Roundtable and delve into all of your favourite fantasy genres with a rotating cast of special guests. We’ll introduce you to the Chosen Ones, fantasy authors from around the globe who will lift the veil on their latest spellbinding novels. The magical journey begins with new video and audio episodes every Tuesday. Powered by Penguin.

Episodes

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    THE ROUNDTABLE: 'Alchemised' by SenLinYu, and how a 1000-page gothic fantasy epic became a record-breaking bestselling book

    On today's Roundtable book club episode, we discuss the internationally bestselling fantasy debut Alchemised by SenLinYu, and how gothic fantasy is the perfect vehicle for exploring dark themes in nuanced way. We also discuss our favourite fantasy tropes (enemies to lovers, the chosen one and bonded creatures) and we debate whether morally grey characters can ever be fully redeemed. Spoiler Alert! We discuss the ending of Alchemised in our After Dark section, from timecode 38.00 - 49.00. Lit Witches is hosted by Adelaide Jensen, with guests Lily Crozier and Vishali Seshadri. Produced by Liz Burnett. Video Production by Michael Windle, Isabella Francis and Kate Jacobs. Additional scripting and research by Shané Oosthuizen. Content co-ordination by Tiana Warner. Graphic design by Sally Dunkerley and Olivia Mead. Recording and theme song composition by Ben Cauduro. Powered by Penguin. 00:00 Introductions 03:23 SenLinYu's fan fiction to traditional publishing journey 06:30 The dark and confronting themes of the book 09:10 Tackling a 1000 page epic 10:35 The world-building of Alchemised and understanding the magic system 13:09 The exploration of trauma in the book 14:46 The binary of good and evil in wartimes 18:30 The class divide of Alchemised 21:19 The characters and reclaiming the chosen one through a feminist lens 25:36 The ethical dilemmas of the magic system 29:23 Helena as an unreliable narrator 31:08 Kaine as the ultimate morally grey male character 33:15 The tropes of Alchemised 38:12 AFTER DARK (SPOILERS FOR ALCHEMISED ENDING!) 42:05 The role of redemption and our favourite moments 48:58 The unconventional structure of the book 49:09 Final fantasy battle game and sign off

    51 min

  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    THE CHOSEN ONE: Author Bronte-Marie Wesson on her 'dark, queer Zelda book', the high fantasy 'The Ascension of Souls'

    On today's Chosen One author interview, we talk to fantasy author and content creator Bronte-Marie Wesson about her traditional publishing debut, The Ascension of Souls - the first book in a new high fantasy series that she describes as her 'dark, queer Zelda book'. Join us as we discuss what shaped Bronte-Marie's love of fantasy, why Tywin Lannister is her favourite fantasy character and how she created an immersive fantasy world inspired by her Irish, anti-colonial heritage. This is a spoiler-free conversation. Lit Witches is hosted by Adelaide Jensen, and this episode features author Bronte-Marie Wesson. Produced by Liz Burnett. Video Production by Michael Windle, Isabella Francis and Kate Jacobs. Additional scripting and research by Shané Oosthuizen. Content co-ordination by Tiana Warner. Graphic design by Sally Dunkerley and Olivia Mead. Recording and theme song composition by Ben Cauduro. Powered by Penguin. 0:00 Introduction and Bronte-Marie's introduction to fantasy 04:50 The Ascension of Souls and how it came to be 'The Legend of Zelda but dark, gay and for adults' 07:00 The world-building of an empire and a country at war 09:07 The magic tree and Irish cultural influence on the book 15:16 Fairies and changelings vs fae and sexy elves 16:35 Building the prophecy in The Ascension of Souls 20:46 The characterisation of Luminara and the chosen family trope 23:31 Rianthran and the antidote to brooding dark love interests 27:00 Side characters and the gaming influence on Ascension 28:38 Queer representation in fantasy 32:13 Bronte-Marie's advice for queer writers 36:16 Role play and writing with a partner 40:20 Categorising the Broken Cycle trilogy, tropes and building on The Brass Wyvern 47:17 Final fantasy game and sign off

    49 min

  3. SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Introducing: Lit Witches, The Podcast for Fantasy Book Lovers

    Join the Lit Witches as they open the portal to fantasy for readers, writers and all things in between. Hosted by Adelaide Jensen, take a seat at The Roundtable and delve into all of your favourite fantasy genres, with a rotating cast of special guests who share an undying passion for all things fantasy. And meet the Chosen Ones, fantasy authors from around the globe who will lift the veil on their latest spellbinding novels. Video and audio episodes out every Tuesday. Powered by Penguin.

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Lit Witches opens the portal to fantasy for readers, writers and all things in between. Hosted by Adelaide Jensen, take a seat at The Roundtable and delve into all of your favourite fantasy genres with a rotating cast of special guests. We’ll introduce you to the Chosen Ones, fantasy authors from around the globe who will lift the veil on their latest spellbinding novels. The magical journey begins with new video and audio episodes every Tuesday. Powered by Penguin.

Information

  • Creator
    Penguin Books Australia
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Penguin Books Australia
  • Show Website
    Lit Witches