Book Dragon Banter

Are you a book lover and a writer? Check out Book Dragon Ink, where the Book Dragons hang out when they are not reading. Your new cozy, online, community-driven, book-writing haven. Join one of our upcoming events with certified coaching support, gamified inspiration, and all the accountability you need to kick-start your writing.

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

Mage Battle! This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me Read Along

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 21:56:07 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we cover chapters 37-39. Oh my goodness, that magic is insane! Did you even see it coming?

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering just what happens in this episode’s chapters, so make sure to read them before continuing!

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

Can I Get That in Writing?

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:03:10 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we cover chapters 32-36, and Sage just loves Solentine. What about you?

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering only what happens in this episode’s chapters, so make sure to read them before continuing!

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

New Favorite Cousin!

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:11:42 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we cover chapters 29-31, and the climax approaches. Are you ready for the end?

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering exactly what happens in this episode’s chapters, so make sure to read them before continuing!

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

Magic D!ck Syndrome

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:08:14 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we cover chapters 24-28, and things keep getting interesting. Now that the big mid-book reveal has happened, whatever will happen next?

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering exactly what happens in this episode’s chapters, so make sure to read them before continuing!

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

The Everard in the Room

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 23:06:40 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we finally reach the midpoint and uncover the secret that’s made reading ahead so taboo! Check out Sage and Kat’s reactions to the Everard in the room!!

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering what happens during chapter 23, so make sure to read it before continuing!

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

Murderboard! Every clever hero(ine) needs one.

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 16:15:41 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. We cover chapters 18-20 this week and it’s getting harder and harder to stop from reading ahead (at least for Katherine and Sage —this is Zinzi’s third or maybe fourth time reading this book, so she is being very careful to keep the spoilers to herself)!

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering what happens in chapters 19-22, so make sure to read them before continuing!

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

What Book Comes Next?

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:06:21 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we’re taking a quick break and asking some deep, need-to-know questions, including: What book should we dive into on the podcast once TKWNKM is done?

Have an opinion? Let us know in the comments!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

TKWNKM Read Along Trailer

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

Two Boots and a Sword

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:27:50 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we cover chapters 15-17, and the plot thickens. Salt barrels, Reynald’s plotting, Maggie impressing him (and Clover), and a rooftop chat over really good tea. What could be better? Discussing it in detail, of course!

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

A quick recap of chapters 15-17 for those who need it…

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering what happens in these three chapters, so make sure to read them before continuing!

In this Book Dragon Banter read-along episode, Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine discuss chapters 15–17 of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, shifting format to prioritize discussion over a detailed recap. We break down Maggie’s troupe’s tightly orchestrated gray iron barrel heist at the docks, including distractions, lighting, and Reynald’s strategic planning. Next, we unpack Maggie’s reveal that Filderan intentionally set up 80 mercenaries to die, making the Magnars’ plan to kill him feel more justified, and we debate how fantasy makes protagonist violence palatable. The episode ends with juicy predictions about upcoming plot turns and reading homework: chapters 18–22 only.

TKWNKM Read Along Trailer

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

View this list and our other book recommendations here.

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

Cozy Romantasy Recommendations.

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:44:38 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we cover chapters 11–14, and things are getting salty!

Links to the podcast are below…

…but first, this month’s book recommendations.

As you may know, if you’ve been listening to Book Dragon Banter recently, Zinzi’s love of cozy romantasy is one of the reasons we decided to tackle This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. While TKWNKM isn’t exactly cozy, it does contain some of the common elements of the trope. So, without further ado, here are Zinzi’s most recommended cozy romantasy and cozy romantasy-adjacent books. What will you be reading next?

This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Zinzi’s Top Cozy Romantasy (& Adjacent)h Recommendations:

The Enchanted Greenhouse - Sarah Beth Durst
The Spellshop - Sarah Beth Durst
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches - Mandanna Sangu
Between - L.L. Starling
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy - Megan Bannen
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon - Kimberly Lemming
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorne
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies - Heather Fawcett
Howl’s Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones
Half a Soul - Olivia Atwater
…and of course, not a cozy or cozy adjacent book, but our current read, so if you haven’t been reading along with Book Dragon Banter, what are you waiting for?
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me - Ilona Andrews

And now, on to this week’s episode: Is it Fresh? Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

A quick recap of chapters 11-14 for those who need it…

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering what happens in chapters 11-14, so make sure to read them before continuing!

Maggie spies on Reynault training, we meet the Magnars, learn more about the freshness of salt, and bond over soup. Not to mention more. Much, much more.

Listen along as we reminisce over our favorite moments, spout theories and predictions, and fangirl over the draw of a strong, protective man with a sword.

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

Good Teeth, Bad Plan. Dead Again?

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:48:59 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine are back for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we cover chapters 6-10. And, boy, now we’re in the thick of it! Did this section have enough blood for you or what?

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

A quick recap of chapters 6-10 for those who need it…

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering what happens in the first section of the book, so make sure to read through chapter 10 before continuing!

We meet Reynald, Clover, and Kaiden, get some swordplay on, and discover how heavy dead bodies really are when having to dispose of them.

Join us as we discuss Maggie’s shifting agency, how being “undying” changes risk tolerance, and if found family raises stakes. We go deep into character intelligence and trust-building, especially the mirrored “in or out” line and the conversation between Maggie and Reynald where they acknowledge mutual manipulation and reject “blind obedience,” contrasting this with popular romantasy tropes. We also debate how reliable Maggie’s book-based future knowledge is, offer theories and predictions (the author’s identity, KR/LM initials, the Stelka returning), discuss Mateo’s farseeing role, and admire Solentine’s intriguing window entrance and how he knows Maggie’s name, ending with reading homework and a request for spoiler-free listener predictions.

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

This Kingdom May Just Kill Us!

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:54 GMT

Zinzi Bree, Sage, and Katherine settle in for a spoiler-free read-along of Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. This week, we cover chapters 1–5, and wow, we’re still reeling (at least Katherine and Sage are—while this is their first read through, it’s Zinzi’s third or maybe fourth time reading this book, so she is being very careful to keep the spoilers to herself)!

Grab your book, cozy up, and join us in predicting what might happen next!

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

A quick recap of chapters 1- 5 for those who need it…

Spoiler alert - while this is a read-along, we are covering what happens in the first five chapters, so make sure to read them before continuing!

Maggie gets dropped into Kair Toren, steals some coins, dies, comes back, and still finds a way to be charming about it. Ah, magic.

In this episode, we walk through Maggie’s first days in Kair Toren, including the Garden of Soft Blossoms, the language barrier, the social classes, and one very much needed bath, while unpacking the isekai tropes Andrews is playing with and the ones she’s quietly flipping on their head. They also meet Galiene, get a very bad feeling about Ulmar Hreban, and watch Maggie strike a risky deal with Solentine Degarra of the Shears like the resourceful disaster she is.

This episode brought to you by Book Dragon Ink.

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

Are you reading or re-reading TKWNKM? Let us know in the comments! But no spoilers please!

Or listen on your favorite podcast site.

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

Would Your Favorite Fantasy World Kill You?

Book Dragon Banter — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:41:34 GMT

Fair warning, some spoilers ahead for both This Kindom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews and The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman.

Opening a novel, no matter the genre, is a bit like stepping through a doorway into another world. This is one of the draws, the potential to, at least for a time, slip from our own mundanity into another place, another life, and walk in somebody else’s shoes for a time.

Step in, why don’t you? Photo by Sofía Klimavicius on Unsplash

Escapism, yes, but reading fiction also serves the undeniable benefit of broadening our own worldview, deepening our empathy, and allowing us to consider social mores from a somewhat less-biased (or at least differently-biased) perspective. Wading through another’s mess of a life, feeling what they feel (thanks to mirror neurons and a deft pen), story affords us a safe way to learn and explore what it truly means to be human.

But a good book is much more than that. It’s a glorious form of entertainment and inspiration. Something to spend hours obsessing over, to deep dive into the latest plot twists and character deaths online, to draw fan art for. It’s a prompt for fan fiction, long conversations, podcasts, and more.

Is it any wonder the thought of waking up inside our favorite books is so enticing?

Isekai, or Portal Fantasy, as it’s called in the Western world, is a story where the protagonist wakes up/arrives in another world. We’ve probably all read at least one over the years. From the classics such as Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and Narnia, to more recent installments, including Fairy Tale, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, Piranesi, The Magician’s Trilogy, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and the recently released: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me.

Where will this lead?

But while the idea of waking up and having to survive in some kind of fantastical land makes for great reading, I’m more interested in the idea of waking up inside my favorite book.

Which is the premise for This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, and to a somewhat lesser degree, The Magician’s Trilogy. As well as any number of other books, I’m sure. Now, depending on your genre of choice, living within your favorite book might not be a walk in the park. Those of us who read on the cozier side of things might be in luck, but one of my favorite books, for example, is The Hunger Games. And the thought of living in Panem, let alone finding myself having to survive the Games, isn’t something I fantasize about. At all. I mean, sure, I’m kind of curious how long I’d survive, but not enough to actually wish for it. I’d much rather experience the revolution from a cozy chair with a nice cup of coffee, thank you very much. (The Hunger Games is only one of my favorites; my “favorite book” (desperately hard to choose, but I have) is somewhere I’d actually like to wake up inside, but more on that in a bit.)

Photo by Elin Melaas on Unsplash

When I asked other Substackers what book they’d like to wake up inside, I got some fantastic answers: From The Hundred Acre Woods to The Shire, Hogwarts to any Star Trek universe, The House in the Cerulean Sea to their own invented worlds, people suggested lands that I, too, could see myself living in.

Honestly, I had never given this question much thought (outside of informing my husband that if we ever reached the point of consciousness-uploading I would 100% be living in a Rivendell as a blade-singing elf), until I cracked the cover of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (TKWNKM) by Ilona Andrews, which I’m reading for the upcoming season of Book Dragon Banter, where we’re doing a detailed deep-dive into this Portal Fantasy. It’s recently released, and Book 1 of Maggie the Undying.

To be clear, I am reading and discussing the book spoiler-free, meaning I am only reading the chapters we’ll be discussing in that week’s episode, and I haven’t read the entire book as of this point. In fact, I’m only a few chapters in, but I’ve already discovered [Spoilers - I warned you!] that the heroine, Maggie, is a woman from our world who mysteriously wakes up, naked in the gutter, inside her favorite book series and has to survive with only her fortitude and wit (and a few magical elements that I won’t get into in case you’ve yet to read it).

A few things struck me while reading chapter one:

First off, the book series she loved so much was a high fantasy about warring families all vying for the throne, and it had never been finished. Sound familiar?

And secondly, while reading, I was reminded of one of my other favorite series, The Magician’s Trilogy by Lev Grossman, even though the two books could not be more different.

In The Magician’s, the protagonist, Quentin, spends a good 75% of the first book on Earth. Yes, he discovers a magical college where he trains his newfound magical skills alongside other teenage mages, but he doesn’t make his way to Fillory, the world from the book series he’s read and re-read (just like Maggie). But Fillory, unlike Kair Toran, is more in the vein of Narnia. Yes, there’s some wickedness happening, but the books aren’t the dark adult fantasy that Maggie reads in TKWNKM. However, The Magician’s itself is dark enough that plenty goes wrong for Quentin, Julia, and the other key players.

It strikes me how very Book Dragon it is to write a portal fantasy where the character ends up in their favorite book. I mean, most authors love books. For some of us, they are our favorite things. How many times do characters end up in libraries, or read for pleasure, or stumble into their romantic interest’s bedroom, only to find stacks of books filling every surface? But it’s one thing to write a bibliophile character. It’s quite another to invent a whole second book world just to send your character stumbling into it.

And that’s what the authors Ilona Andrews (pen name for the wife and husband writing team) did. Before they could send Maggie into Kair Toren to muddle through and mess everything that happened in the book series up, they had to write that series. Or at least outline it.

Which leads me to a couple of questions:

If you are a writer, are you intimidated or motivated by the amount of extra worldbuilding and exposition writing a portal fantasy entails?
And, as a reader, how badly do you want to get your hands on that book within a book???
Photo by Natalia Y. on Unsplash

As mentioned, I’m reading TKWNKM for the deep dive we’re doing on the Book Dragon Banter podcast. During a recent recording, another question was broached: how would I survive if suddenly dropped into a book world? What special skills do I have that would translate?

This is a tough question! So many modern skills would be pretty useless as a source of livelihood in a high fantasy setting. And, depending on how dangerous the world is, my ability to protect myself would be sorely lacking. Unless, like Neo in The Matrix, there’s some kind of quick upload to gain necessary skills (or like Maggie [spoiler alert], I wake up able to read and write the local language and with a few extra tricks up my sleeve), my only real options are a mediocre pastry baker or scribe.

I’m feeling woefully unprepared over here. I mean, I’m not even that good at riding a horse.

Which, perhaps, is one of the many reasons my favorite book (and somewhere I wouldn’t be too upset to wake up in) is To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis, where the protagonist lives in near-future Oxford and works as a time-traveling historian, my 100% dream job of choice.

What about you? What fictional world would you dream of waking up in? Would you have the skills to survive? Let us know in the comments.

And, if you have read, or plan on reading This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, tune into Book Dragon Banter, where we will be getting into all the details of this portal fantasy. I, personally, plan on sharing all of my predictions as I read.

Subscribe to be alerted to every new episode, or listen on your favorite podcast platform, or watch on YouTube.

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To take a look at some of my favorite portal fantasy reads (and some still on my TBR), check out our bookshop.org list.

Special shout-out to the following Substackers for humoring me as I mused about where I’d like to end up, should I wake up Isekai’d:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

xo Sage

A Story Within A Story

Tue, 26 May 2026 19:48:07 GMT

Hey Bookish Besties! Before we dive into this month’s book club read, we have an announcement!

Starting in June, Book Dragon Banter will be doing a focused deep dive into This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, by Ilona Andrews!

We hope you’re as excited about this as we are. If you haven’t read the book, grab a copy and read along with us. If you have read it, join us and relive all your favorite moments!

Zinzi’s read the whole thing (a few times, that’s how big a fan she is), but Sage and Katherine will read along with the podcast, sharing their uninformed predictions and theories. It’s going to be a treasure trove of fun!

Grab your copy (affiliate link) of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me and let’s get reading!

Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled podcast…

In this episode of Book Dragon Banter, the Book Dragons (Katherine, Sage, and Zinzi) give our unfiltered opinions of Simon Jimenez’s The Spear Cuts Through Water, this month’s Fable book club pick. There are many, many spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book yet, grab a copy and come back for our in-depth dissection. Happy listening!

Listen now!

We unpack the book’s experimental structure—second-person “you,” shifting POVs, Greek-chorus interludes, and creative typography—plus how format and audiobook versus text affect readability and immersion, especially through the inverted-theater framing. We debate what works and what doesn’t, highlighting the prose, layered love stories, and themes of storytelling, heritage, and power, while also reacting to disturbing elements like cannibalism and cruelty.

We discuss standout characters (Keema and Jun), the Three Terrors, the moon goddess myth, tortoise “telephone” magic, and favorite lines.

For the full breakdown, be sure to listen. We’ve got a lot of opinions on this one!

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.
Prefer a different player? Find them all here.

Are you a book lover and a writer? Check out Book Dragon Ink, where the Book Dragons hang out when they are not reading. Your new cozy, online, community-driven, book-writing haven. Join one of our upcoming events with certified coaching support, gamified inspiration, and all the accountability you need to kick-start your writing.

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

All our links:

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Dare to DNF?

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:52:43 GMT

In this episode of Book Dragon Banter, Katherine, Sage, and Zinzi Bree share some of the books they’ve recently given up on, plus their favorite fantasy (and more) finds of the year thus far.

Have you read any of these books? Did you love them as much as we did? Listen now and get your fix of fantasy book chat with your new bookish besties.

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

Book Dragon Banter hosts discuss our best reads of the year so far (not limited to fantasy), current reads, DNFs, and palate cleansers.

Sage is reading Victoria Aveyard’s Realm Breaker series and shares updates on her reading challenges, StoryGraph tracking, and postponing unfinished series like Blood Over Bright Haven.

Katherine discusses cozy rereads, nonfiction reading goals, tracking stats, and favorites, including Voyage of the Damned and Bloody Jack.

Zinzi shares being on a reading ban to focus on writing, DNFs like Master of Salt and Bones and Feather So Vicious, and a palate cleanser with The Other Bennet Sister.

We compare progress on our book bingo challenges, share top fantasy picks (including This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews), and give writing journey updates, including a secret project and draft/revision progress. We close with book club news on Fable reading The Spear Cuts Through Water, and upcoming Season One wrap and summer deep dive.

And follow along with some insightful writing advice at Letters From the Lair.

What recent read can you not stop thinking about? Let us know in the comments!

Listen on Apple Podcasts now!

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

~Show Notes~

Current Read: The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

00:00 Welcome to Book Dragon Banter
00:34 Episode Agenda and Rules
01:24 What We Are Reading Now
03:46 Reading Ban and Secret Project
04:46 Reader Chair Challenges Check In
05:20 Sage Updates and Series Waiting
08:38 Katherine Nonfiction and Tracking
11:03 Magical Element Bingo Progress
13:41 Strategy for Blackout Bingo
18:18 DNFs and Reading Regrets
21:54 Sage DNF Wuthering Heights
22:34 Why We Still Want Endings
23:54 DNF Or Not Right Now
24:46 Cozy Fantasy Trust Broken
26:57 Boredom And Backstory
27:54 Audiobooks And AI Voices
29:08 Palate Cleanser Picks
33:16 Fantasy Favorites So Far
37:24 Non-Fantasy Best Reads
42:01 Writers Desk Check In
45:42 Goals Versus Habits
49:34 Wrap Up, And Next Reads

Are You Ready for a Cozy Spicy Rumpelstiltskin Retelling?

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:07:34 GMT

In this episode, we gush over our latest book club pick, How to Find a Nameless Fae by AJ Lancaster, a cozy fantasy romance Rumpelstiltskin retelling with spice, a middle-aged heroine, a melodramatic fae hero, and an interfering sentient house.

We share why we all enjoyed it (cozy tone with meaningful stakes, great banter, classic fae lore like true names and power, and fun details like griffins, talking cats, magic “insignia” scents, and the house doing chores and providing lingerie). Spoilers included as we discuss character dynamics, consent, the bond/mated-leaning setup, miscommunication handled through insecurities, and how the gold curse and magic complications play out. We also talk about narrator voice/chapter headings, standout lines about names and homes, and our hope for more books in this world.

AJ Lancaster Update - Nameless Fae and Stariel are going trad! Check out her post about it here.

BDB Fable Fantasy Focused Book Club - Join and read alongside us!

Next Book: The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

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00:00 Late Night Book High
00:32 Podcast Intro and Subscribe
01:10 Content Warning and Book Pick
01:54 Fable Book Club Plug
02:40 What This Book Is
04:11 Why We Loved It
05:57 Spoilers Begin Retelling Talk
07:54 Characters and Relatability
08:46 Mal Style and Cat Energy
13:05 Spice Level and Tattoos
15:51 Bonds Names and Power
19:35 Fairy Lore and Favorite Quotes
21:10 Chosen Names Queer Rep
21:46 Sentient House Cozy Living
22:29 Chores Lingerie Power Balance
24:03 Beauty Beast Narrator Voice
27:02 Made Up Words Pagefire
30:19 Insignia Scents Magic
32:21 Gold Curse Spice Fallout
33:38 Dream Bond Miscommunication
37:29 Fated Mates Consent Done Right
39:00 Unexplored Fae Magic Sequel Hooks
41:13 Trauma Gender Family Sacrifice
45:11 Next Read Spear Cuts Water
46:57 Reviews Retreats Outro

Fantasy Smut & Spice: Plot vs Erotica, Power Dynamics, and Writing Better Sex Scenes

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:45:49 GMT

What’s your favorite word for “down there”?

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

We welcome you to Book Dragon Banter, where we (Sage, Katherine, and Zinzi Bree) talk fantasy and romantasy spice, from early reads like Mists of Avalon and Kushiel’s Dart to how modern romantasy has become more explicit on the page. We discuss when sex serves plot versus functioning like erotica, how unhealthy power dynamics, manipulation, and grooming can be portrayed (and sometimes left unaddressed), and why good sex doesn’t equal a healthy relationship, with a nod to Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On series. We also talk about masturbation and self-discovery on the page, the “male vs female gaze” in erotic writing, foreplay-focused scene structure, common tropes like oral sex, language preferences, and euphemisms (including a humorous run-through of terms from Naughty Words for Nice Writers), and the recurring age-gap fantasy problem. We wrap by inviting you to our Fable Book Club read, How to Find a Nameless Fae by AJ Lancaster, plus reviews, retreats, and social links.

What was the first spicy book you read? Let us know what you think in the comments.

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

~Show Notes~

Books Mentioned:

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
The Carry On Series by Rainbow Rowell
ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas
The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Naughty Words for Nice Writers: A Romance Novel Thesaurus by Cara Bristol
"I Give You My Body . . .": How I Write Sex Scenes by Diana Gabaldon
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn

00:00 Uncensored Opener
00:21 Podcast Intro and Topic
00:47 First Fantasy Sex Reads
02:59 Romantasy Gets Explicit
04:17 Grooming and Power Dynamics
06:01 After the Happily Ever After
07:32 First Exposure Stories
09:09 Self Discovery and Communication
10:52 Mind Reading and Mental Load
13:15 Male Gaze vs Female Gaze
14:33 Writing Better Sex Scenes
16:14 Foreplay Tropes and Realism
19:12 Words and Euphemisms
20:55 Sexual Agency and Experience
23:05 Age Gaps and Immortal Lovers
25:12 Vampire Versus Werewolf
25:53 Twilight Stalker Debate
26:31 Erogenous Zones Talk
27:30 Naming Body Parts
28:56 Euphemisms Versus Realism
29:51 Spice Goes Mainstream
30:24 Vagina Word List
32:48 Clit And Breasts Terms
34:31 Bridgerton Garden Metaphor
36:54 Wrap Up And Book Club
38:22 Unhinged Spice Recs
39:10 Finding A Sign Off
40:27 Final Goodbye Bits

When Magic Meets Desire

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 23:45:51 GMT

Do you like your fantasy with a side of smut? If so, where do you draw the line?
…Or don’t you?

Welcome back to Book Dragon Banter, a podcast where hosts Zinzi Bree, Katherine, and Sage discuss all things books. Listen now to our latest episode.

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

In this episode of Book Dragon Banter, we (Sage, Katherine, and Zinzi Bree) talk about smut and spice in fantasy and romantasy—what it’s doing in the story, how we define terms like “mental porn” and “power dynamics,” and why consent and character/plot relevance matter to us. We also touch on where lines get drawn around monster romance and fantasy anatomy, share a few book examples, and wrap up… for now.

How much smut is just right? How much is too much? Let us know what you think in the comments.

All our links: https://linktr.ee/bookdragonbanter

~Show Notes~

Books Mentioned:

Books Mentioned:
Alchemized by SenLinYu
Lights Out by Navessa Allen
He Sees You When You’re Sleeping by Alta Hensley
Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer
Ice Planet Barbarian Series by Ruby Dixon
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
Brimstone by Callie Hart
Morning Glory Milking Farm by C. M. Nascosta
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
The Alanna Series by Tamora Pierce
The Harper Hall Trilogy by Anne McCaffrey

00:00 Smut at the Dentist
00:46 Podcast Intro
01:39 Why Talk About Spice
02:46 Defining Key Terms
04:05 Smut vs Erotica
05:48 Romantasy and Plot
08:45 Consent and Icks
10:08 Extreme Scenes and Curiosity
11:29 Disability and Realism
15:54 Fantasy Anatomy in Bed
19:30 Monster Romance Line
22:08 Shapeshifter Boundaries
23:24 Vampire Versus Werewolf
24:23 Fae Takeover Trend
25:21 Monster Romance Details
27:44 Cleanup And Aftercare
30:37 Messy Realistic Sex
33:06 Scent Power Dynamics
34:32 Early Spice Memories
39:52 Consent For New Readers
41:01 Book Club And Farewell

Grave Matters: A Literary Monster Spooky Special

Book Dragon Banter — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:01:37 GMT

Monstrous Origin Stories: Analyzing Dracula, Frankenstein, and Werewolves

Welcome to the Book Dragon Banter podcast’s spooky special!

Prefer the video version? Watch on YouTube.

In this episode, hosts Zinzi Bree, Sage Moreaux, and Katherine Suzette dive into the monstrous origin stories of Dracula, Frankenstein, and werewolves. Discover surprising details about these classic monsters, their portrayal in literature, and how they’ve evolved in pop culture. Sage explores the allure of vampires, including Dracula, while Zinzi delves into the tragic tale of Frankenstein’s creature. Katherine examines werewolf lore and its dark connections to human desires.

Tune in for a thrilling discussion, plus book recommendations for readers interested in these iconic horror figures. Happy Halloween!

Do you enjoy reading classics? What about horror? Let us know in the comments!