Romantasy Roundtable: Fantasy Romance Reviews

Amanda, Kim, and Rick
  • 4.2 (9)
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Welcome to Romantasy Roundtable: A Tale of Rick and Roses! Join us for an engaging book club and read-along experience as we explore the enchanting world of romantasy, diving into captivating stories and unforgettable moments together! Hosted by Rick and his "roses," this podcast-style channel explores the most spellbinding books in the romantic fantasy genre. What You'll Find Here: Read-alongs of popular romantasy books. Thoughtful analysis of characters, plot twists, and those unforgettable spicy moments. A warm and inclusive space for book lovers to share their thoughts and join the conversation. Always lighthearted, fun, and a bit unhinged Join the Court! Become part of our growing community of romantasy enthusiasts. Share your favorite books, theories, and moments with fellow "rosebuds." New Episodes Grab a book and settle in for an adventure filled with magic and love. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode!

  1. 1d ago

    ACOTAR 6 & 7: Reveal

    Episode Title: ACOTAR 6 & 7 REACTIONS: New Covers, Koschei, Stygian Spiders & What Was Broken Will Be Remade?! Description: Sarah J. Maas really said, “Here, take TWO books,” and the Romantasy Roundtable immediately stopped its vacation plans to scream about it! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are back for an emergency ACOTAR bonus—sorry, FILLER—episode after SJM dropped the titles, covers, page counts, and blurbs for A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody! ACOTAR 6 is 352 pages, ACOTAR 7 is a MASSIVE 896 pages, and we are officially entering the Valkyrie Cycle with movements one, two, and three... plus a mysterious fourth book still to come?! We break down what this new era of ACOTAR might look like and why the wildly different page counts have us wondering exactly how these books are structured. Then we go FULL conspiracy board on those covers. The first gives us bones, fire, fangs, destruction, renewal, and approximately one million questions. Meanwhile, the second has Rick spiraling because if that is a STYGIAN SPIDER, everyone can get... well, you know. We also dissect Koschei the Deathless, the Night Court's “recent betrayals and revealed truths,” and the former alliances they need to resurrect. Naturally, Rick immediately decides this means TAMLIN REDEMPTION ARC, BABY. Amanda and Kim are... less convinced. And then there's the MUSIC. Splintered Harmony. Forgotten Melody. The Valkyrie Cycle. Movements. The Harp. The Dread Trove. Rick starts connecting musical language and recurring art themes throughout the Maasverse—and admits he has a bigger theory he isn't quite ready to share yet. Plus, we debate whether ACOTAR is about to go full Throne of Glass with an ensemble cast, who the romances of the Valkyrie Cycle might be, whether Rick is ever going to stop complaining about the Valkyrie plot being “too convenient,” and why apparently the money's in the smut, baby. Key Topics Discussed: • ACOTAR 6 & 7 Are Official: Our immediate reactions to the titles, covers, blurbs, and SJM casually dropping two books on us. • The INSANE Page Counts: Why 352 pages for A Court of Splintered Harmony and 896 pages for A Court of Forgotten Melody have us questioning how this story is structured. • Welcome to the Valkyrie Cycle: What do “movements” mean, why is there a mysterious fourth book, and how does A Court of Silver Flames bridge us into this new era? • Koschei the Deathless: Rick refreshes Amanda and Kim on the ancient being, his connection to the Bone Carver and the Weaver, and Vassa's curse. • Bones, Fire & Fangs: Our wildly speculative breakdown of the ACOTAR 6 cover and whether its imagery connects to destruction, renewal, or ancient beings. • THE STYGIAN SPIDER THEORY: Is the A Court of Forgotten Melody cover teasing creatures from another world?! Rick is NOT emotionally prepared. • Harmony, Melody & the Harp: We connect the musical titles and Valkyrie “movements” to the Harp, the Dread Trove, and recurring art themes across the Maasverse. • Tamlin's Redemption Arc?!: Rick hears “betrayals,” “former alliances,” and “find a way back to each other” and somehow concludes that TAMLIN IS BACK. • Who Is This Story About?: Is this a Night Court ensemble story with perspectives scattered everywhere? And most importantly... WHO ARE THE COUPLES?! • The Valkyrie Debate: Rick loves A Court of Silver Flames but still thinks becoming Valkyries happened a little too conveniently. Amanda strongly disagrees. • Gwynriel, Mor + Emerie & Redemption: We discuss ships, possible pairings, and why SJM has proven she can completely change our minds about characters. • Bonus Episode or Filler Episode?: Rick refuses to call this bonus content because apparently we're doing Dragon Ball Z comparisons now. Closing/Call-to-Action: What do YOU think the new ACOTAR covers mean? Is that a Stygian spider? Is Tamlin getting a redemption arc, or is Rick completely delusional? And WHO ARE THE COUPLES?! Drop your theories in the comments below! Don't forget to like, subscribe on YouTube, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got book recommendations, ACOTAR theories, or a Dragon Ball Z membership application for Rick's very lonely Venn diagram? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! See you next time for more completely legitimate “filler” content!

  2. Aug 12

    Heartstopper: Full Series

    Title: Heartstopper Volumes 1-6: Cozy Palette Cleansers, Wrestling Rants, & Queer Sons! Description: After 24 weeks of fantasy carnage in Throne of Glass, the Romantasy Roundtable squad needed a cozy, wholesome palette cleanser! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are back to yap about Alice Oseman’s beloved graphic novel series, Heartstopper (Volumes 1 through 6). But before diving into Nick and Charlie’s sweet romance, Rick opens the pod with a full-blown WWE SummerSlam rant thanks to an awesome email from listener Jamie Daws in Sydney! We talk Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens breaking his neck and coming back, Chad Gable winning singles gold, Rick’s Italian soccer jersey and Knicks fitted cap, and the most emotional book moments that made us sob (Atmosphere, Kingdom of Ash, and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close!). Then we jump straight into the heartwarming, deeply real YA graphic novel world of Nick and Charlie! Key Topics & What The Squad Said: • SummerSlam & WWE Rants: Jamie Daws asks about Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns, leading Rick into a passionate breakdown of Kevin Owens' comeback, Chad Gable's title win, and how wrestling seasons never actually end. • The Most Emotional Book Moments: Jamie shares Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings, Amanda praises Atmosphere for making her cry through 85% of the book, and Rick brings up the 13 in Kingdom of Ash. • Volume 1 - The Meet Cute & Ben Hope Sucks: Charlie Spring gets recruited to rugby by Nick Nelson, drops Ben Hope's toxic ass, and shares a magical first kiss with Nick at a party before Nick panics into the snow. Rick & Amanda agree: F**k Ben Hope! • Volume 2 - Bisexual Awakening & Rain Kisses: Nick's iconic rain kiss, coming out to his legendary mom (played by Olivia Coleman in the show!), and declaring his love to the ocean. Rick gives Volume 2 a 5-star rating for its high stakes! • Volume 3 - Paris Trip & Everyone Is Gay: The gang takes a school trip to Paris with two chill chaperones (the art teacher and history teacher hooking up!). Elle and Tao kiss, and Nick notices Charlie's eating habits while searching how to help. • Volume 4 - Mental Health & "I Love You" Run: Charlie blurts out "I Love You" while Nick is in the shower and runs away barefoot! Nick's mom reminds him that supporting Charlie doesn't mean it's his job to fix him, offering an incredible portrayal of adolescent mental health. • Volume 5 - University Fears & Intimacy Conversations: Nick visits Leeds and realizes he wants a future there, while he and Charlie navigate sex, boundaries, and what counts as intimacy beyond heteronormative norms. • Volume 6 - Head Boy, Pride Club, & Mutual Support: Charlie wins Head Boy, calls out Truham's bullying culture, and reassures a terrified Nick about his past mental health scares. Mutual strength and reciprocity at its finest! • Kit Connor & Real World Drama: The squad defends Kit Connor from toxic internet fans who bullied him out of the closet, declaring: "Let his silly golden retriever face live!" • Final Ratings & Public Smut Reading: Kim and Amanda give Heartstopper a 5/5 stars, while Rick gives it 4.5/5 stars (a little too cozy, needs more stakes!). Plus, the squad debates reading Crescent City, ACOTAR headboard scenes, and Elsie Silver smut in public. Closing & Call-To-Action: Are you team 5-stars for Heartstopper or do you agree with Rick that it needed a little more drama? Drop your hot takes and favorite emotional book moments in the comments! Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to the channel wherever you listen or watch on YouTube, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got book recs or want to chat wrestling with Rick? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! See you next time when we jump back into Crescent City and ACOTAR!

  3. Aug 3

    Kingdom of Ash: Chapters 100-End

    Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Finale (Ch. 100-End): Saying Goodbye to All Our Friends! Description: Grab your tissues, Romantasy Roundtable family, because we have officially reached the end of Erilea! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are recapping the explosive, heart-wrenching finale of Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 100 through 121 plus the epilogue). It has been 24 weeks, 22 episodes, and 10,000 pages of pure magic, and we are emotionally ruined in the best way possible! Before diving into the war, we recap some iconic host yapping: Rick getting an Outin portable espresso machine sponsorship and trying cold foam, Samus the dog and Rick both taking Trazodone after shoulder and ACL injuries, attending NYCFC soccer games to see Malachi Jones score, and Kim and Amanda rocking matching enamel pigeon earrings from the craft fair! But then the tears start flowing—all three moments Amanda cried are right here in this section! From Darrow's unmatched face-turn and Gavriel's devastating sacrifice at the city gates, to Aelin riding the Lord of the North into battle like a glowing ghost deer, this finale delivers every single piece of epic fantasy satisfaction. Key Highlights & SEO Topic Breakdown: • Darrow's Emotional Face Turn: Grumpy old Darrow officially names sweet Evangeline his heir, recognizes Lady Lysandra of Caraverre, and gifts Aedion the Sword of Orynth in the ultimate redemption arc (Amanda's 1st cry moment!). • Aelin Rides the Lord of the North: Aelin makes the most cinematic, movie-worthy entrance in fantasy history, riding a glowing ghost stag using his antlers as handlebars to lead the golden cavalry and rucks into Orynth! Rick calls it the coolest scene ever written! ????✨ • Gavriel's Heroic Gate Sacrifice: Gavriel steps beyond the threshold to hold off 20,000 Balk monsters so Aedion can seal the city gates, giving father and son a final moment of mutual pride ("Then we shall shut them together"). RIP Lion of Terrasen! ???????? • Aelin's Masterclass in Villain Banter: Depleted of her nuclear fire magic, Aelin relies on her sharp assassin wit to monologue, distract, and plant seeds of toxic paranoia between Maeve and Erawan while buying critical evacuation time. ???? • The Death of Erawan: Yrene channels her radiant executioner magic alongside Elide plunging Damaris, while Dorian reclaims his father's true name (Dorian Havilliard) to completely incinerate the Dark Lord into leftover dust! ???? • Maeve's Brutal Execution: Fenrys impales Maeve with Goldryn, Aelin cheekily slips Elide's anti-Valg ring onto her finger to burn her from the inside out, and decapitates the Valg Queen once and for all before screaming Yrene's name to the heavens! ???? • The Curse Broken & Kingsflame Blooms: Manon finds a mystical Waste flower blooming in the blood-stained soil where the 13 sacrificed themselves, officially breaking the ancient witch curse and uniting the Crochans and Ironteeth! ???? • Lord Lorcan Lochan Reveal: The podcast gang freaks out over Lorcan taking Elide's last name, confirming the ultimate fan theory! ???? • The Grand Coronation & Blood Oath: Aedion swears his long-awaited blood oath to Aelin in front of the entire court (Amanda's 2nd cry moment!), while the Little Folk (resembling Frozen trolls) scurry in to hand Aelin her crown. ???? • Bittersweet Squad Farewells: The ultimate squad breakup in the courtyard! Yrene promises to be Aelin's doula, Dorian and Manon plan to meet in the middle of flight paths, and Aelin and Rowan watch the Kingsflame bloom across Terrasen in "A Better World" (Amanda's 3rd cry moment!). ???? Closing & Call-To-Action: Which moment made you cry the hardest? Are you team Lorcan Lochan or joining Rick's Tamlin apologist tour? Drop your hot takes in the comments! Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to the channel wherever you listen, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got thoughts on the Maasverse or want to defend Lucien with Rick? Email us at romantasyround@gmail.com! Join us next week for a wholesome palette cleanser episode on Heartstopper where we yap about our gay sons! Bye rugby! ????

  4. Jul 27

    Kingdom of Ash: Chapters 68-99

    Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Ch. 68-99: The Thirteen, Multiverse Freefalls, and "And So Lorcan Did"! Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are diving straight into the jaw-dropping second half of Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 68 through 99). Grab your tissues and lock your doors because this section broke our hearts, brought down fortresses, and sent us flying across the SJM multiverse! Dorian Havilliard proves he is playing 4D chess by turning into a mouse, a crow, and a wyvern, severing Maeve's world-walking powers, and literally collapsing half of Morath on his way out. Meanwhile, Aelin and Elide leave Uncle Vernon in a sealed room with a cold tankard of ale, Aedion and Lysandra hold down the bloody siege of Orynth, and we finally get the iconic moment: "...And so Lorcan did." Then comes Chapter 89. The Thirteen execute the most heroic, heartbreaking, legendary sacrifice in fantasy history with The Yielding. Live, Manon. Live From the Nameless King stepping up in the Endovier salt mines for the ultimate Dad redemption arc, to Aelin telling the gods to shove it and opening a portal to the Hell realm before freefalling past Bryce and Hunt in Crescent City... this episode has IT ALL. Settle in as we finish Part One and prep for the final stretch of Throne of Glass! Drop your thoughts in the comments, hit that subscribe button, and let us know your favorite moments! Key Topics Discussed: Dorian’s Morath Heist & 4D Chess: Dorian sneaks into Morath, finds the final Word Key in a tragic girl's arm, gets trapped by Maeve, and then casually severs her world-walking abilities before collapsing the entire fortress and flying away as a wyvern. Absolute king behavior. Interrogating Uncle Vernon: Aelin uses a brilliant loophole oath to give Vernon a cold ale and leave him locked in a room forever. Elide gets the key, and nobody sheds a single tear for that man. The Siege of Orynth & Sea Dragon Lysandra: Aedion fights on the front lines, Lysandra shapeshifts into a badger to dig explosive trench traps and a sea dragon to crush Morath’s forces, and Aedion finally drops the sweet confession of love we’ve been waiting for. "...And So Lorcan Did": Elide and Lorcan finally get hot and heavy, giving us one of the most quoted lines in SJM history. (Amanda reveals she thought Lorcan was in Crescent City this whole time!) The Thirteen’s Sacrifice & The Yielding: Asterin and The Thirteen choose ultimate love over obedience. In a blinding flash of pure witch light, they perform The Yielding to destroy the witch towers and save Orynth. Live, Manon. Live (Kim's wall art comes to life and Rick is left completely speechless!) Burger King’s Redemption Arc: Dorian, Aelin, Rowan, and Chaol head into the Endovier salt mines to forge the Lock. Just as soul-destruction hits, the Nameless King (Daddy Dorian) steps in to pay the debt. Aelin shoves Dorian back to safety, leaving her fire magic drained down to a single drop of water and an ember. Freefalling Through the Multiverse: Aelin tells the arrogant gods where to go, opens a portal to the Hell realm inside their sky, and freefalls across worlds—passing a winged male and his mate in a starry city (hello, Bryce and Hunt!)—guided right back to Rowan's soul tether.

  5. Jul 21

    Kingdom of Ash: Chapters 35-67

    Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Ch. 35-67: Witch Queens, Water Vaporization, and Horrible Decisions! Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are diving straight into the second half of Part One in Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 35 through 67), and honey, the trauma is heavy, the soup is boiling, and nobody in Erilea knows how to make good decisions! Aelin is finally reunited with her Shadow Daddy Rowan, but her magic is on ice—or is it? From subterranean glow-worm cave dates and Lorcan swallowing his pride for jasmine Burvas blood, to Manon absolutely annihilating witch matrons to claim her crown, this section is non-stop adrenaline. We are talking major heartmates reunions, chaotic shape-shifting educational moments (looking at you, Dorian), and Elide becoming an absolute legend on a terrifying horse named Farasha. Grab your warm strawberry crisp, settle in, and let us yap about the most epic battles, major betrayals, and whether Aedion wins the award for worst politician ever. Key Topics Discussed: • Aelin and Rowan Reunion & The Glow-worm Cave: Aelin makes her grand return, Cairn gets skinned alive (sadly off-screen for Rick!), and our favorite heartmates exchange shiny stolen wedding rings under a cavern full of sparkling cavern worms. • Maeve is a Valg Queen?!: The Cadre realizes their blood oath was sworn to an ancient demon queen, leaving everyone processing major trauma and a really bad taste in their mouth. • Manon Decapitates Yellow Legs & Claims the Crown: Manon draws a line in the snow with Wind Cleaver, slays the Yellow Legs matron, and slaps the Crown of Stars onto her own head in the ultimate girlboss move of the series. • Dorian's Shape-Shifting Adventures: Dorian tests out what it feels like to walk around with breasts, flirts with Manon in ghost form, and then pulls the ultimate ghosting maneuver after a steamy night to sneak into Morath alone. • Elide, Lorcan, and Farasha the Horse: Elide hijacks Chaol's terrifying horse to rescue a spine-injured Lorcan from a pile of corpses, leading to an emotional confession of love and toe-curling magic healing. • Aelin's Dark Phoenix Moment: Aelin proves she is the ultimate firebringer by vaporizing an entire 30-foot tidal wave into pure steam with her saved-up magic before taking a well-deserved three-day power nap. • Lysandra and Aedion Drama: We dissect the toxic plan to fake Aelin's pregnancy, Lysandra's heroic ghost leopard stand on the front lines, and why everybody in Terrasen currently sucks. • The Great Crochan Beacon Call to Arms: Red-cloaked Crochan witches dusting off ancient swords and mounting brooms across the continent like Paul Revere—easily one of SJM's finest cinematic moments. • Chaol's Baby Announcement: Chaol finds out Yrene is pregnant... directly from his terrible father over a very awkward chicken dinner. Closing/Call-to-Action: Did Lorcan win your heart back, or are you still holding a grudge? Is Dorian walking straight into his demise at Morath? Drop your hot takes in the comments below! Don't forget to like, subscribe on YouTube, and follow us on Goodreads and StoryGraph. Got book recommendations or want to defend Tamlin with Rick? Email us at romantasyroundtable@gmail.com! See you next week for chapters 68 through 99—and remember, do NOT read chapter 100 yet!

  6. Jul 13

    Kingdom of Ash: Chapters 1-34

    Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash – Part 1 (The Beginning of the End, the Iron Coffin, and Aedion Needs to Sit Down Edition) Description: We are officially in the final book. Kim is recording from the Canary Islands sixty miles off the coast of Africa. Rick wore skirts to work for two years to protest a no-shorts policy and single-handedly got the rule changed — it turned out the rule had been quietly removed from the handbook in 2019 and nobody noticed. We have one hundred subscribers. Jamie sent several messages. Bartholomew is a Scottish Straight from a backyard breeding operation with eighty-four cats in it. We love him more now. Amanda's sister Julia sent a two-minute voice memo defending Tower of Dawn from a neurophysical therapist's perspective — Chaol's arc maps accurately onto combat PTSD, Yrene's depletion is how healing actually works, and if he were more likable it wouldn't be realistic. Also Amanda read thirty percent of Kingdom of Ash in a day and a half while sick with a six-day migraine because this book does not let you put it down. Key Topics Discussed: - Aelin Is in an Iron Coffin and It Is Already Devastating: Tortured on a rotating schedule, scars healed so Cairen can start over, reciting a childhood story on loop, communicating with Fenrys via blink code. Four blinks means I am with you. Two blinks means no, he is not all right. Maeve offers Connell a moment to speak freely to his twin and he stabs himself in the heart rather than harm Fenrys. Kim cried more about the wolf yipping in pain than about Aelin's bones breaking. - Fenrys Shatters His Blood Oath Through Sheer Love: He physically fights the magical chain until it breaks, tackles Cairen, screams run at Aelin, and nearly dies. Aelin offers her blood and commands him to live until he does. Rick did not see this coming. Amanda had been predicting it since Connell died and gives herself partial credit. - Aelin Escapes and the Mask Comes Off: She catches a sword strike on her wrist chains to snap them free, steals the sword, and murders her way out with no magic and full iron still on her body. When the mask finally comes off every scar she has ever had is gone. New skin, assembly line torture. Rick says this was worse than the torture scenes. Rowan seals a tent with Cairen inside and nobody hears what happens next. We are all grateful. - Maeve Traps Aelin in a Hallucination of a Peaceful Life: Living Rowan, fairy tale framing, the whole thing — then rips it away. The psychological warfare is more disturbing than the physical torture and Maeve as Palpatine energy is fully locked in. - Aedion Is Being a Little B**** and Everyone Is Tired: He is raging at Lysandra, who is cosplaying as Aelin in a blizzard and dragged a dead frozen soldier home on her horse form. She stands barefoot in the snow and takes it with her dignity intact. He told her he was going to marry her someday. Amanda does not know how he comes back from this. The fire in his tent deserved to die. - Dorian Shapeshifts Via Emotional Vulnerability: He cannot self-loathe himself into shifting. Kaltain's ghost shows up instead of Gavin and tells him to stop wondering if he's a bad person and just be one. He shifts into a raven right as Manon catches him sneaking toward Morath. - Knox Owen Is Back and Amanda Was Not Expecting It: He recognizes Lysandra is not Aelin because he knew Selena and she didn't recognize him back. He pledges loyalty instead of blackmail. Amanda was only looking for Assassin's Blade callbacks and Knox is from Throne of Glass. That's why she loves this series. - Girl Boss Easter Egg of the Batch: The humble cauldron of goat stew, single-handedly responsible for brokering peace between two warring witch bloodlines. Never thanked. Always working. Homework is chapters 35 through 67, stop when you see Part Two at chapter 68. Rick has under five hours left in Kingdom of Ash and plans to supplement the reread with Heartstoppper, which counts as six books. Amanda is forty percent into Crescent City, loves Hunt, keeps forgetting he has wings, and is letting the lore flow in one ear and out the other. Kim is in the Canary Islands. Subscribe, drop your death predictions in the comments, and we will see you in Part 2!

  7. Jul 8

    Throne of Glass: Fan Casting the Movie

    Episode Title: Throne of Glass Fan Casting Bonus – (The Hockey Team, the Heated Rivalry Cameos, and Anya Taylor-Joy Is Manon Edition) Description: We promised a Throne of Glass bonus episode last time and delivered a soccer podcast instead. This time we actually did it. Amanda made a Canva slideshow with animated covers and everything, Kim showed up with notes on her phone, and Rick showed up. Together they cast six main characters plus bonus picks, debated the merits of multiple hockey team members, accidentally cast half of Heated Rivalry, and had a very important conversation about why Emilia Clarke is too sweet-faced to be Manon Blackbeak. Taylor Swift got married at Madison Square Garden while we recorded this. We acknowledge it and move on. Ground rules: any actor from any era is fair game, wigs exist, and the casting can be based entirely on vibes. These rules were followed loosely. Key Topics Discussed: - Aelin Galathynius: Rick goes Jennifer Lawrence from Hunger Games — badass, emotional, knows how to use a bow. Amanda goes Carla Delane on looks and vibe. Kim goes Florence Pugh for range and depth, noting she can play young and old and do the emotional heavy lifting this role demands. Margot Robbie was briefly considered by all three and then moved elsewhere. - Rowan Whitethorn: All three hosts independently arrived at Henry Cavill as the Witcher. Specifically as the Witcher. No other Henry Cavill will be accepted. Kim went rogue with Jacob Elordi as an alternative, who Rick concedes has the size and shape. Jacob Elordi is now also a backup Dorian. - Dorian Havilliard: The hardest cast of the night. Rick lands on Joseph Gordon-Levitt — 500 Days of Summer to Dark Knight Rises, the full emotional range. Amanda goes Connor Story from Heated Rivalry, dark-haired, charming, and she can already imagine the banter with Manon. Kim went young Matt Bomer. Christian Bale was briefly on the table. Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory was mentioned and then gently set aside. - Chaol Westfall: Amanda dies on the Theo James from Divergent hill, aged extraordinarily, plays stoic extremely well. Rick flip-flopped between Tom Hardy circa Inception and Jon Bernthal the Punisher before landing on Tom Hardy as his box of a man. Kim cast Joe Alwyn, noting his track record playing characters defined by loyalty and obligation. Taylor Swift was mentioned. We moved on. - Manon Blackbeak: Amanda and Kim both independently cast Anya Taylor-Joy. Rick cast Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Amanda's counterargument is that Emilia Clarke has sweetness in her face and Manon has never once in her life had a sweet moment. Rick stands firm. Two of us are right, he says. - Yrene Towers: Amanda cast Cassinia Daniela from Heated Rivalry and will accept no other Yrenes. Kim and Rick both independently landed on Zendaya. Emma Watson was briefly floated and then abandoned when someone remembered Yrene's complexion. - Lysandra: Amanda goes Anna de Armas, captain of her hockey team, full stop. Rick landed on Sydney Sweeney after considering Scarlett Johansson, which prompted a brief discussion about whether Sydney Sweeney was created in a lab for the male gaze. The group agrees she can actually act. Kim used Sydney Sweeney for Kaltain instead, whose Dark Phoenix energy belongs to Sophie Turner or Jodie Comer from Killing Eve. - Bonus Picks: Aedion is Chris Hemsworth — already blonde, already Thor, Matt Damon as Gavriel could believably be his dad. Asterin is Florence Pugh because she and Anya Taylor-Joy would be electric together and Florence Pugh would destroy the confession scene. Mahershala Ali was floated for multiple roles and nobody could decide where to put him but everyone agreed he needed to be somewhere. Jamie — let us know who you would cast and where we went wrong. Drop your picks in the comments, subscribe so you don't miss the actual book content episodes, and tell us if Idris Elba is the Kagan or Duke Perrington because we could not agree. Boots. ????

  8. Jul 6

    Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn: Part 6

    Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – FINALE (The Iron Coffin, the Life Bond, and Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius Edition) Description: We made it. The full crew is together in person, there are cocktails called Abraxos in Bloom, birthday cookies, ice cream incoming, and a cat named Bartholomew who wants absolutely nothing to do with any of us. This is the live midsummer finale recording of the Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn tandem read, and it goes places. Amanda has had half a glass of wine. Rick has had considerably more and briefly needed to sit down after standing up. Kim made a Canva slideshow for the fan casting episode that nobody saw yet. None of this matters because the books absolutely destroyed us. Empire of Storms ends on a beach with Aelin publicly whipped, masked, chained, and locked into an iron coffin while Maeve purrs let's begin — and somehow that's after the reveal that Maeve engineered Lyria, orchestrated the mating bond, and has been Valg queen this whole time. Tower of Dawn ends with Yrene exorcising a Valg princess out of a pregnant princess in front of the entire Khagan's court, forging a life bond with Chaol that means when one dies the other follows, and securing an army of a thousand Rukhin riders, Hasar's armada, and three hundred Torre healers because she asked the Khagan for one favor and he said anything. Rick gives Empire of Storms five stars. Amanda and Kim both give the tandem four stars each. Everyone agrees Aedion needs to get it together. Key Topics Discussed: - Maeve Is Valg Queen and Engineered Everything: She orchestrated Lyria. She nudged Rowan toward the wrong woman on purpose. She's been hiding in plain sight for millennia. Rick's read: she's Palpatine. Erawan is out there flailing around being obviously evil while Maeve has been running the whole board. The House of Whitethorn dropping her black flag mid-battle because Rowan spent a midnight cousin tour committing full treason is the most dramatic family betrayal in the series. - Aelin Gets Whipped, Masked, and Coffined: She dropped to her knees to save Elide. She refused to count a single lash. She slipped both word keys into Manon's pocket during the nudge while everyone watched. The entire naval battle was a month-long scheme to drain her fire first. Rick was pissed. Amanda hated it. The epilogue is Maeve opening the coffin. Nobody is okay. - The Secret Wedding Nobody Knew About: Aelin and Rowan got married two days before the beach. Aedion finds out on the beach alongside everyone else and responds to the Lysandra plan by telling her to go to hell. Rick and Kim are both annoyed at Aedion for a sustained period of chapters. Lysandra is literally saving his kingdom with her face and he is being a little bitch about it. - Yrene Heals Chaol, Forges a Life Bond, Then Exorcises a Valg Princess: She spent the whole book fixing his spine and then Duva breaks it again in thirty seconds. She straddles a Valg-possessed pregnant princess with a dagger and then doesn't do it because there's a baby and she is who she is. Hafiza solves the problem by throwing herself down a staircase in a chair. The entire Torre forms a healing chain to bring Chaol back. Rick loved every second of it. - Elena Galathynius Ruined Everything: She used the lock — Mala's essence poured into the Eye of Elena — to trap Erawan, burned its one-time power on the wrong plan, and condemned her bloodline to pay the price. Amanda had received one spoiler: the real villain of Empire of Storms was Elena. She had forgotten until this exact moment. - Nehemia Knew: She agreed to arrange her own murder to break Aelin out of the Selena identity. The witch mirror confirmed it. That part was hard. Everyone agrees. - Lysandra Customized Her Sea Dragon Form: Longer limbs, prehensile thumbs, spider silk scaled hide, battering ram tail. She is not using what the gods gave her when she can fully optimize. Amanda is obsessed with her. Rick has been picturing a manatee this whole time and sees no reason to stop. - The 13 Arrive and Amanda Went Like This on Her Couch: Abraxos plunges from the sky trailing twelve wyverns. Tristan asked if they finally had soup. Amanda said no, the wyverns are here. Tristan said what. Amanda said never mind. Final ratings: Rick gives Empire of Storms five stars and Tower of Dawn four. Amanda and Kim both land on four for each. Everyone agrees this could have been one book and also they're glad it wasn't. Homework is Kingdom of Ash from the start through chapter 34. Stop when you see chapter 35. That's almost 300 pages. Buckle up. Drop your Maeve theories and your Aedion grievances in the comments and subscribe for the Kingdom of Ash era! ????

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4.2
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Welcome to Romantasy Roundtable: A Tale of Rick and Roses! Join us for an engaging book club and read-along experience as we explore the enchanting world of romantasy, diving into captivating stories and unforgettable moments together! Hosted by Rick and his "roses," this podcast-style channel explores the most spellbinding books in the romantic fantasy genre. What You'll Find Here: Read-alongs of popular romantasy books. Thoughtful analysis of characters, plot twists, and those unforgettable spicy moments. A warm and inclusive space for book lovers to share their thoughts and join the conversation. Always lighthearted, fun, and a bit unhinged Join the Court! Become part of our growing community of romantasy enthusiasts. Share your favorite books, theories, and moments with fellow "rosebuds." New Episodes Grab a book and settle in for an adventure filled with magic and love. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode!

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