Is This Just Fantasy?

This time the fellas embark on a contraversial journey as they reckon with one of the most acclaimed modern Sci-Fi and Fantasy novelists, N.K. Jemison, but not about how seminal work: The Broken Earth trilogy. Instead they take a look at her debut and examine where she first showed promise, and in fact first dabbled in themes she would go on to examine again in the Fifth Season.Does she start her career strong? Did they make a mistake in choosing to look at this book instead of her later works? And just how sexy is this book supposed to be?Tune in to hear Geordie cover Jemison's unapologetic love of allegory, Duncan point out an incredibly obvious one he somehow missed, Duncan discussing the book's bizzare political system, and to not hear Geordie's 15-minute lecture on the origins of the Bible, which Duncan thankfully made him edit down to about 3.If you want to thank Duncan for his editorial oversight, follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or try our email: isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com

After enduring some completely preventable recording issues, Duncan and Geordie are back, counting down the last couple of books before their 100th! This time they are joined by Bookstagrammer Kellie Greene (@theportsmouth_pageturner) to return to the world of sexy fae with Sarah J. Maas' debut, Throne of Glass.As Duncan discovers just how badass and beautiful and well-read and good at piano our hero, Celeana Sardoffian is, Geordie recounts his own experience of the series, and Kellie expounds on why she loves the series so much. And, because no authentic discussion of Throne of Glass can be had without discussing the massive twist, in a first for the podcast, Duncan is kicked out to protect him from spoilers.Is Duncan #TeamChaol? Why does Geordie hate Rowan so much? And will Kellie and Duncan finally force him to read the Chaol's spin-off book? Find out now!Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if Edward Cullen wasn't Mormon, or Xaden Riarson didn't have #believewomen in his Tinder profile? Then this is the episode for you, as Duncan and Geordie cover From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout.They discuss a parade of bizarre and lazy worldbuilding, dangling plot threads, unusually basic wording errors, and possibly the shadiest love-story they've covered on the podcast so far (and that's saying something). Duncan found it so dry that he forgot the book existed until shortly before recording, and Geordie struggles with the fact he used to like it!Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com

At long last, the fellas cover one of the big daddies of epic fantasy. For Duncan its a return to an old-favourite, whilst Geordie experiences it for the first time. They discuss the start of Robert Jordan's saga: 'The Eye of the World.'Geordie wrestles with explaining how a book can be boring 'but in a good way,' whilst Duncan keeps forgetting how much of what he thinks happens in this book, won't happen till books 2-4, and how many of his favourite characters still kinda suck. Geordie challenges the book's attempts at depiciting a matriarchal system, whilst Duncan struggles with how to keep telling Geordie that most of his complaints will be solved if he Just. Keeps. Reading. The. Books!Apologies to fans of Nynaeve for butchering her name all episode. (How is it pronounced Nah-Neeve?!)Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com

Ah, 2025. An impossibly long and packed year which just flew by. In their annual tradition, Duncan and Geordie take a look back at a year full of ambitious pulls, many surprises, and a couple of truly dire low-points (in terms of books, the podcast is obviously better than ever)!They take a look at everything they've reviewed to select their Most Surprising, Most Disapointing, Favourite, Worst, and of course their Best book of the year. Will they be in agreement, or is their time for one last heated debate before the ball drops?

Don't ask: 'who's the biggest badass in fantasy?' Only fools ask that question. The real question is: 'how do you measure badassitude?' For years, nobody could answer this enigma. But finally, after months of tireless study and experimentation, Geordie has found it: an empiral, scientific system where we throw a list of the best fantasy heroes we've encountered on the podcast into a gauntlet of horror movies with the sole mission of protecting us.This episode we ask the important questions like: which horror movie monsters can be defeated by a rabbit? Which fantasy heores would beat Shaggy from the live-action Scooby-Doo films or escape a Saw trap? Which heroes would chop their foot? Could the Overlook Hotel defeat Goku? And would Obi-Wan Kenobi be able to save Christmas? Find out now!

At long last. The fellas set out to explore the hottest title in the world of fantasy right now. Their most anticipated read since their Top 50 Books review, their most Dragon Riders of Perny book since Dragonriders of Pern, and their horniest by far since The Eye of Argon.They cover: the steamy romance, the exciting pace, and just how unbelievably super special the heroine is, in one their nitpickiest episodes yet. They do not cover that this book is a real knock-off of Jennifer Armentrout's From Blood and Ash, so Geordie is making sure it gets included here.Nothing could say it plainer: its a garbage book for garbage people. And Geordie and Duncan are total garbage.

Some traditions never get old. Once again Duncan and Geordie return to the dark world of Berserk to wrap up its incredibly named Millenium Falcon Arc with Falconia. Its one of Geordie's favourite and least favourite parts of the series, containing some of the best action ever depicted in fiction, some astonishing world-building, a drastic change to the series' status quo... but it also spent three years of publication just following Griffith, which is basically a crime. The fellas discuss the many surprises in this arc. From Farnese's character arc the introduction of the surprisingly cool Roderick, and Gut's incredible journey to letting go of hatred. Duncan loved this section so much, he even said it beat out the Golden Age. Please put the gun down.Don't forget to check out all our previous episodes on Berserk and let us know what you think about this arc in the comments or on our social media.

Slather yourself in gingerbread and fail to solve a mystery, its time for Duncan and Geordie to cover 'Paladin's Grace' by T. Kingfisher. They discuss an excellent love story, and a real pallete cleanser from the hormonal teenage romantasies they've experienced up till now. Even if the political intrigue and mysteries promised by the blurb fails to materialise. This episode Geordie learns a surprising amount of Ancient Greek, Duncan tries to weird out Geordie by describing a video game, only to discover that its pretty de rigeour by anime standards, whilst Geordie forces Duncan to exactingly describe the book's steamiest scenes.Next time.... things are getting spooky with the return of the annual October boooook club.

Can you ever really escape your fate? Not if Duncan has trapped you in a never ending cycle of sword and sorcery. Once again the fellas are going back to the Red Sonja well. Its the same author. Its the same character. Its... quite a few of the same plot beats as well, actually, but dumber this time. Duncan chose Red Sonja: Consumed, Gail Simone's first ever novel, and her second take on Red Sonja. The fellas unpack some bizarre and kinda stupid plot points, Geordie's relates his worst trip to the theatre ever, Duncan gets bent out of shape about contradictions to Hyborian Era geography, whilst Geordie demonstrates eerie powers of prophecy, and comes to the radical conclusion that Lord of the Rings is a good book. Who knew?They promise to never discuss Red Sonja again... until Duncan sees the movie.Also, Duncan wants to make clear that comments about beloved nerd actor Felicia Day were made by only one host of this show.

Because for no obvious reason this has become tradition, its time for the annual Troy adaptation! (Which will they run out of first? Troy books, or fantasy novels set at Christmas?) Up till now those adaptations have mostly hinged on feminst reimaginings of the Illiad, and the commodification of women's bodies. But this time the fellas are gonna mix things up. They return to David Gemmel of Legend fame, looking for his burlier, alpha male account of the Trojan war and find... a book about the commodification of women's bodies, and men trying to be kind to each other?Truly, the more things change....

I promise, the guys do like this book! They just have a lot to say about it which sounds like complaining. This week Geordie returns to familiar hunting grounds, whilst Duncan sets of on a sojourn to parts unknown as they read the first (chronological) book in the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore.Both the guys struggle with pronounciations this week, Duncan spends an unusually small amount of time talking about Elric, and takes uncalled for pot-shots at his current Dungeon Master (sorry Tom), whilst Geordie unpacks the de-eviling of the Drow, the right order to read the series, and just what exactly is the Spellplague anyway?

It was a gruelling forced march through this monster of a book. Geordie may have brought Elizabeth Moon's 1980s fantasy epic to the table, but can they stomach it? The fellas unpack an early depiction of a female fantasy heroine, in a faithful (perhaps too faithful) depiction of soldierly life by a Marine Corps veteran. They unpack the strange mingling of the drudgery of soldierly life, with an unusually grittless depiction of military honour. Some of the characters are so forgettable that Geordie even forgets the author's name at one point, whilst Duncan would rather talk about Doctor Who.