Season 6 begins! 85. The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas
Season 6 has officially begun! We’re back with a historical fiction novel suggested by our beloved patron Grey (@grey_reads on insta): The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas. This is a retelling of the legend of Mulan from Chinese folklore. Recommend if you like… Mulan retellings, generally (Disney films included) Hafsah Faisal’s novels (We Hunt the Flame and We Free the Stars) Beneath the Moon by Yoshi Yoshitani Classic martial arts texts/films like Legend of the Condor Heroes and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon re: writing systems, oral traditions, and grappling with “civilization” Further reading on the development of writing systems in China The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wenigrow really is mind…
Episode 72: The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
Today we’re discussing an historical fantasy novel, The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros. Set in Chicago in the late 1800s, Romanian Jewish immigrant Alter Rosen is swept up in a city-wide mystery after his bestie and crush Yakov is killed (spoiler! Sorry not sorry but if you didn’t guess it was queer then what show do you even think you’re listening to?!). There’s an anarchist side kick, some possession, and lots of chaos! This book was suggested by the wonderful roro_suri on instagram, who always has really strong book recs. Many thanks to them and our Patrons for these book recommendations to start us off for Season 5. Content warning…
