Episode 46 - Dragon's Blood, by Jane Yolen

It’s time to revisit Austar IV’s brutal society and beautiful dragons! Madeleine and Grace discuss just how their perceptions of Dragon’s Blood have changed as adults - and why this is a great reread. Slavery and dragon battling may not make this the most YA-friendly material but maybe the pits are more like Pokémon than dog fighting?… Also: disgruntled audiobook listeners. Upsetting pretend food. Drakk are really gross.

Thanks for listening! If you would like to request a book for us to cover, please email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com or leave a comment.

Episode 45 - The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis

It’s finally time for the Dragon Babies to travel to Narnia! We follow Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb through a shrub and into a serious adventure, aided by a wonderfully melancholy Marsh-wiggle and many muffed attempts at following instructions. Grace and Madeleine label Aslan the grumpy babysitter of Narnia and give Lewis’ non-Turkish delight pretend food its day in the sun. Listeners will also enjoy an extended comparison of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien’s works by two people who are just cobbling together garbled memories and are not in any way scholars on the subject. Join us in Underland - but don’t be seduced by Bism’s fiery caress!

Thank you to every listener who has requested The Chronicles of Narnia! If you’d like to make a request, leave a comment or send us an email at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.

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There’s a lot to love about Pauline Baynes’ illustrations, but Puddleglum’s introduction deserves special attention:

Episode 44 - Mister Monday, by Garth Nix

We’re heading to The House to dive into Mister Monday, book one of The Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix! Reading Mister Monday for this episode was our introduction to the series, and though we think we need to explore additional books before we’re able to get a true feel for the series, we thoroughly enjoyed this wild ride. Our discussion ranges far and wide, with extended reflections on Arthur’s relatability, fantasy’s fixation on horrible gym class teachers and Garth Nix’s talent for creating truly terrifying monsters inside elaborate worlds.

This episode was a listener request - thanks, Marina! If you’d like to request a book or series, get in touch at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.

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Truly bonkers alternate cover:

Other Dragon Babies episodes mentioned:

• Episode 1 - Sabriel, by Garth Nix

• Episode 11 - So You Want to Be a Wizard, by Diane Duane

• Episode 24 - A Tale of Time City, by Diana Wynne Jones

• Episode 31 - Lirael, by Garth Nix

Angel Sanctuary by Kaori Yuki

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

The Works of Robin McKinley and Why Fantasy Should Seem Real, by Vivian Shaw

MINI EPISODE - Rewatching The Princess Bride

This is a miniature episode in which we rewatch the film adaptation of The Princess Bride with our brother, Patrick! Check out our book episode for an in-depth discussion of William Goldman's source material.

Have fun storming the castle!

Episode 43 - The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

We’re rereading The Princess Bride, by William Goldman! We tackle all the sweeping satire, unique literary devices and ultimately heartwarming friendships that make Florin such a weird, fun place to return to. This book showcases plenty of passions - but is it ultimately an earnest story? Grace does her best to convince Madeleine of its subtly heartfelt approach, and Madeleine identifies Fezzig and Inigo’s friendship as the true love story.

Mini episode covering the film adaptation coming out soon!

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The Princess Bride read by Jessica Woodward

Map of Florin & Guilder: