Episode 72 - Dragon Rider, by Cornelia Funke

August 24, 2020 by Grace Harnois

Perks of dragon travel: moonlit views, in-flight wild mushroom snacks, and a map drawn by an enterprising rat. Cons: a bloodthirsty alchemical monster tracking your every move from below. We’re revisiting Dragon Rider, by Cornelia Funke! This fast-paced action-adventure novel takes us across Europe and Asia in search of the Rim of Heaven, and the cowardly dragons lurking within. Madeleine and Grace discuss the unique characteristics of Funke’s dragons, appreciate Brendan Fraser’s superb audiobook narration and reminisce over mushroom memories. *Please note - We are aware that we called Firedrake “Firebeard” for the first ten minutes of the episode and we are ashamed.

This episode was a listener request - thank you, Debbie! If you’d like to request a book for coverage, email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.

EPISODE MEDIA

Kindle edition cover with the Pixar-ready Firedrake and Ben:

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The Deltora Quest series by Emily Rodda

Episode 71 - Akata Witch, by Nnedi Okorafor

August 10, 2020 by Grace Harnois

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor is a glorious magical coming of age story. We follow along as Sunny grapples with cultural clashes between her American and Nigerian identities, and her outsider status as a Free Agent within the Leopard People. Madeleine and Grace expound on their love for magical education novels, discuss the perfection of knowledge as currency, and appreciate Okorafor’s anti-capitalist themes. Enter Leopard Knocks and join us!

This book was a listener recommendation - thank you, Nina! We’re working on broadening our podcast and would love to hear any recommendations you may have for YA fantasy novels by Black authors - email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com!

EPISODE MEDIA

The Adventure Time episode we mention about colorful spirit world creatures is S4E11, Beyond This Earthly Realm

Chin chin recipe

Other episodes mentioned:

Episode 70 - Castle in the Air, by Diana Wynne Jones

July 27, 2020 by Grace Harnois

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones has it all: enchanted cats, enchanted carpets, and a squid-loving dog. We head to Zanzib in the sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle, and encounter old and new friends along the way. Madeleine and Grace discuss where DWJ gets her depictions of Middle Eastern cultures right and where she steps into Orientalist stereotypes - and whether a white writer satirizing non-European folk tales is ever a good idea. We also attempt to unravel the book’s confusing feminism and learn how cats can travel in style. Hop in your cloud castle and join us!

This episode was a request from many listeners - thank you! If you have a request, email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.

EPISODE MEDIA

The Book-It Repertory Theater’s Howl’s Moving Castle adaptation

Other episodes mentioned -

Madeleine’s Calcifer tattoo!

Episode 69 - The Farthest Shore, by Ursula K. LeGuin

July 13, 2020 by Grace Harnois

In which we return to Earthsea only to witness it quickly unraveling! The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin has ego death, mutiny and some excellent dragons - but can you make it through the despair of Earthsea’s magical apocalypse? Grace and Madeleine compare their personal experiences with this book and discuss Le Guin’s motivation for destroying her own creation. We mourn the lack of female characters and tasty food, but still have plenty to explore as we accompany Lookfar out into the endless ocean. Join us!

Other books/episodes mentioned in this discussion:

Episode 68 - The Castle of Llyr, by Lloyd Alexander

June 15, 2020 by Grace Harnois

Head out on an adventure while a magically large house cat lays eternal chase - we’re covering The Castle of Llyr, by Lloyd Alexander. The third book in the Chronicles of Prydain makes excellent use of Alexander’s well-developed, charming characters as they get into scrapes outside of the series’ main storyline. Eilonwy determines her own path and every character investigates their identity - but sadly, Gurgi rarely opens his everlasting food wallet.

Many listeners have requested that we cover more Lloyd Alexander, and we’re more than happy to comply - we’re hoping to continue the Chronicles in the not-so-distant future! If you have a request, leave a comment or email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.

We also open this episode with a call for your favorite YA fantasy books by Black authors as well as other authors of color - please share! We are looking to diversify our very white podcast catalogue and would love to hear them.

Alternate cover from the Audible edition: