Books That Burn

This fortnight we’re discussing “Firebreak” by Nicole Kornher-Stace. If you enjoyed this you should check out “Archivist Wasp” and “Latchkey” (in that order), since they’re part of the same universe. TITLE: Firebreak AUTHOR: Nicole Kornher-Stace PUBLISHER: Gallery / Saga Press (Imprint of Simon & Schuster) YEAR: 2021 LENGTH: 416 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Science Fiction, Dystopian RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for rationing, confinement, cursing, alcohol, excrement (brief), blood, gore, fire/fire injury (graphic), medical content (graphic), medical trauma (graphic), gun violence (graphic), violence (graphic), child abuse (backstory), police brutality (graphic), torture (graphic), parental death (backstory), child death, major character death, death. Topic 1: B - Kidnapping. Begins at (1:30), CW for kidnapping, death. Topic 2: Mal - Dehydration. Begins at (9:55), CW for death, dehydration. Topic 3: 22 - Medical Experimentation. Begins at (20:25), CW for medical trauma, violence, child abuse, child death, death. Promo for Men of Steel; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (30:14). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Batman: Nightwalker” by Marie Lu. This is part of the DC Icons series, where each book is written by a different author. We discussed this Batman novel as part of #DarkKnightFortnight from Certain POV. You can find all the Certain POV shows which participated on this page. TITLE: Batman: Nightwalker AUTHOR: Marie Lu PUBLISHER: Random House Books for Young Readers YEAR: 2018 LENGTH: 288 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Yes Book TW for blood (graphic), fire (backstory), domestic abuse (not depicted), violence (graphic), gun violence (graphic), sexual content (not depicted), sexual harassment, car accident (graphic), parental death (not depicted), suicide (not depicted), murder, death. Topic 1: Richard - Emotional Abuse. Begins at (1:30), CW for emotional abuse, death of parent. Topic 2: Cameron - Medical Trauma. Begins at (13:46), CW for medical trauma, murder, death. Topic 3: Bruce and Madeleine - Death of Parent. Begins at (25:06), CW for violence, murder, death of parent, death. Promo for CPOV - RobCast; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (36:09). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas. Yadriel gets a bit more than he was expecting when he summons the wrong ghost. TITLE: Cemetery Boys AUTHOR: Aiden Thomas PUBLISHER: Swoon Reads YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 344 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Romance RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for cursing, ableist language (brief), grief, racism (brief), transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, alcohol (brief), blood, self harm (brief, religious ritual), domestic abuse (backstory), child abuse (backstory), gore (brief), violence (graphic), medical content, parental death (backstory), murder, major character death (graphic), death (graphic). Topic 1: Child Abuse. Begins at (1:35), CW for child abuse, physical abuse, fire/fire injury (burns). Topic 2: Transphobia. Begins at (11:00), CW for sexism, misogyny, transphobia, deadnaming, misgendering Topic 3: Murder. Begins at (21:30), CW for murder, blood, death. Promo for Farragut Forward IndieGoGo; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (32:00). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “River of Teeth” by Sarah Gailey. If this sounds interesting then we recommend reading it in the omnibus collection “American Hippo” which includes this novella, its sequel (“Taste of Marrow”), plus some short stories in this setting. TITLE: River of Teeth AUTHOR: Sarah Gailey PUBLISHER: Tor/Forge Books YEAR: 2017 LENGTH: 192 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Alternate History RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for racism (minor), fatphobia, transphobia (minor), pregnancy, drug use (smoking), alcohol, fire/fire injury, blood (graphic), gore, violence (graphic), medical content, animal death, child death, murder, major character death, death (graphic). Topic 1: Child Death. Begins at (1:30), CW for child death, animal death. Topic 2: Betrayal. Begins at (14:32), CW for death. Topic 3: Mutilation. Begins at (25:36), CW for mutilation, addiction, child death, death. Promo for CPOV Circle of Friendship; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (36:22). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of RIVER OF TEETH at Reviews That Burn. They also reviewed AMERICAN HIPPO. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Assassin's Apprentice” by Robin Hobb. This is the first book in "The Farseer Trilogy" which is itself part of the "Realm of the Elderlings", a connected set of several trilogies. TITLE: Assassin's Apprentice AUTHOR: Robin Hobb PUBLISHER: Voyager YEAR: 1995 LENGTH: 460 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for cursing, pregnancy, ableism, sexism, misogyny, bullying (graphic), physical abuse (graphic), emotional abuse (graphic), alcohol, alcoholism, excrement, drug use, miscarriage (backstory), rape (not depicted), child abuse, blood (graphic), violence (graphic), medical content (graphic), animal death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, child death, death. Topic 1: Patience - Betrayal. Begins at (1:35), CW for infidelity, betrayal, parental death, death. Topic 2: Burrich - Child Abuse. Begins at (11:20), CW for abuse, animal death. Topic 3: Galen - Emotional Abuse. Begins at (22:15), CW for suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt. Promo for Screen Snark; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (30:15). --- This episode briefly discusses fictional depictions of suicide. If you're in the United States the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. For those of our audience outside of the United States, you may be able to find the suicide hotline number or other appropriate emergency services for your country in this directory provided by OpenCounseling. --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “IRON WIDOW” by Xiran Jay Zhao. This is book one of a planned series. Wu Zetian wants to assassinate her sister's murderer, but finds herself in a string of mech battles working alongside Li Shimin, the strongest pilot in Huaxia. Told in Third Person with Single POV. TITLE: Iron Widow AUTHOR: Xiran Jay Zhao PUBLISHER: Penguin Teen YEAR: 2021 LENGTH: 400 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Science Fiction RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for grief, misogyny (graphic), sexual content, alcohol, alcoholism (graphic), medical content, injury description, pregnancy (backstory), blood (graphic), vomit, suicidal thoughts, domestic abuse, child abuse, violence (graphic), torture (graphic), murder (graphic), parental death (backstory), major character death (graphic), death (graphic). Topic 1: Forced Alcoholism. Begins at (1:35), CW for alcoholism, torture, death. Topic 2: Death Machine. Begins at (10:00), CW for sexism, misogyny, death. Topic 3: Invasion. Begins at (21:15), CW for death. Promo for RMC vs CG; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (31:25). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.  Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Please enjoy the spoiler-free portion of our interview with author Seanan McGuire discussing several of her books, "Into The Drowning Deep", "Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day", "Middlegame", the Toby Daye series, and the Incryptid series. Other works mentioned include Newsflesh (series), Ghost Roads (series), "Rolling in the Deep", and Parasitology (series). Timestamps are marked for the interview questions. This interview was recorded several months prior to the 2021 Hugo Awards. Become a Patron at any level to receive the spoiler-filled second half of the interview. Intro (0:00) Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (0:20) Has a traumatic event in your books ever changed your perception of a character? (3:00) What parts of your identities do you notice making appearances in your writing more than you intended? What parts of your identities do you notice seeping into your work unintentionally? (6:20) What is your approach to incorporating visible queerness in your work? (10:05) How does setting influence queerness in your stories? (12:40) What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? (16:25) Do you tend to write disabilities based on a specific set of references or do you tend to write cultures that hide disabilities and all that they entail? (22:00) When building your characters’ identities, what aspects did you intentionally include? (25:00) Do you consider your character’s physical description when writing how other characters treat them? (26:20) --- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 --- What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (29:57) Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (31:46) Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shoutout? (32:49) Where can our audience find you? (36:15) --- Check out Seanan's website for more about her writing. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.  --- At each link you can find Robin's written reviews of Seanan's work under her own name, her writings as Mira Grant, and as A. Deborah Baker. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Wayward Witch” by Zoraida Córdova. Heather joins us once again to wrap up the excellent Brooklyn Brujas trilogy. TITLE: Wayward Witch AUTHOR: Zoraida Córdova PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 239 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for kidnapping, confinement, emotional abuse, animal death (not depicted), excrement (brief), vomit, blood, gore, body horror, violence, major character death, death. Topic 1: Nadira - Deadly Journey. Begins at (0:55), CW for death. Topic 2: Rose - Memory Loss. Begins at (13:30), CW for memory loss, abandonment. Topic 3: Rose - Abandonment. Begins at (27:05), CW for memory loss, abandonment, parental death, death. Promo for CPOV Reignite; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (41:00). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.  Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Bruja Born” by Zoraida Córdova, the second book in the Brooklyn Brujas trilogy. Heather joins us again on this episode! TITLE: Bruja Born AUTHOR: Zoraida Córdova PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire YEAR: 2018 LENGTH: 352 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for ableist language, vomit (graphic), fire, blood (graphic), gore (graphic), violence (graphic), pregnancy (not depicted), medical content, medical trauma (graphic), cannibalism, child death, death. Topic 1: Casimuertos - Cannibalism. Begins at (0:50), CW for Cannibalism, undead, self-aware zombies Topic 2: Lula - Survivor’s Guilt. Begins at (9:30), CW for death, bus crash. Topic 3: Lula - Life Drain. Begins at (22:45), CW for mention of gore, death. Promo for Fun and Games (CPOV); Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (35:57). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.  Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Labyrinth Lost” by Zoraida Córdova, book one of the Brooklyn Brujas series. TITLE: Labyrinth Lost AUTHOR: Zoraida Córdova PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire YEAR: 2016 LENGTH: 336 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for bullying, child abuse (backstory), blood, violence, panic attacks, missing parent, animal death, death. Topic 1: Kidnapping. Begins at (1:35), CW for mention of torture, betrayal Topic 2: Family Rejection. Begins at (11:00), CW for abandonment, mention of drug use.  Topic 3: Misplaced guilt. Begins at (23:00), CW for missing parent, discussion of divorce, discussion of death. Promo for ComicsQuest from CPOV; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (32:40).  --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.  Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “GRACELING” by Kristin Cashore. This is the first book of the YA fantasy series, Graceling Realm. TITLE: GracelingAUTHOR: Kristin CashorePUBLISHER: Houghton MifflinYEAR: 2008LENGTH: 471 pagesAGE: Young AdultGENRE: Fantasy, RomanceRECOMMENDED: Yes Book TW for sexism, misogyny, sexual content (brief), sexual assault (not depicted), kidnapping, child abuse, animal cruelty, medical content, blood, vomit, violence, torture, animal death, parental death, child death, murder (graphic), death (graphic). Topic 1: Leck - Gaslighting. Begins at (1:35), CW for Murder, torture, animal cruelty, death Topic 2: Katsa - Coercion. Begins at (13:00), CW for Violence, death, coercion Topic 3: Bitterblue - Death of Parent. Begins at (22:10), CW for Murder, death of parent, child abuse Promo for CPOV - Another Pass; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (29:15). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.  Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Thirsty” by M.T. Anderson. In THIRSTY, everyone sucks. Suddenly learning you're a vampire doomed to brief madness before death or (best case scenario) a long life of cannibalism will ruin anyone's day. Looks like it's going to ruin Chris's month. TITLE: Thirsty AUTHOR: M.T. Anderson PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press (MA) YEAR: 1997 LENGTH: 237 pages AGE: Young Adult, Middle Grade GENRE: Fantasy, Horror RECOMMENDED: Yes Book TW for queerphobia (brief), ableist language, misogyny, bullying, anxiety, mental illness, stalking, vomit (graphic), self harm (graphic), gore (graphic), blood (graphic), violence, cannibalism, animal death, lynching, murder, child death, major character death, death. Topic 1: Child Death. Begins at (1:30), CW for Murder, child murder, ritual human sacrifice. Topic 2: Bullying. Begins at (16:10), CW for Bullying, child death, murder. Topic 3: Cognitive deterioration. Begins at (29:00), CW for ableism, self-harm, auto-cannibalism, cognitive deterioration, suicide mention, murder, suicide by cop, mention of lynching. Promo for Crit Chat; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (41:00). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Unwind” by Neal Shusterman. This is book one of the Unwind Dystology. Robin has been reading Shusterman's work since they were a kid and this was a new one for them. UNWIND is a dystopian future where abortion is outlawed but teenagers can be "unwound", a state which is distinct from death in ways that are legalistic, technical, and horrifying. TITLE: Unwind AUTHOR: Neal Shusterman PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers YEAR: 2007 LENGTH: 335 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Dystopian, Science Fiction RECOMMENDED: Yes Book TW for discussion of abortion, discussion of “retroactive abortions”, discussion of “right to life” Topic 1: Vestigial Existence. Begins at (1:30), CW for Death, loss of self, dismemberment, body horror, medical content Topic 2: Split identity. Begins at (11:35), CW for Death, loss of self, dismemberment, body horror, medical content, loss of control over body Topic 3: Dismemberment. Begins at (23:58), CW for Death, dismemberment, mention of abortion, medical trauma Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (39:45). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Please enjoy the spoiler-free portion of our interview with author Kevin Klehr discussing three of his books, "Social Media Central", "Midnight Angel", and "Winter Masquerade". Timestamps are marked for the interview questions. Become a Patron at any level to receive the spoiler-filled second half of the interview. Intro (0:00) Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (0:55) Do you put more thought into the trauma itself or the aftermath when thinking about how it affects the characters? (6:50) Have you ever started writing a trauma in (one of) your book(s), and had it take over or have more of a story impact than originally intended? (10:30) What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? (24:12) What is your approach to incorporating characters with disabilities in your work? (37:45) --- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 --- What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (42:35) Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (45:41) Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shoutout? (47:40) Where can our audience find you? (49:55) --- Kevin's LinkTree has all his links. Check out Kevin's website for more about his writing, you can also find him on his NineStar Press page. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, or look up his author page on Goodreads. Our Australian audience can find his work on BookTopia. The major works discussed in this interview are "Social Media Central", "Midnight Angel", and "Winter Masquerade". --- You can find Robin's written reviews of Social Media Central, Midnight Angel, and Winter Masquerade at Reviews that Burn. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

This fortnight we’re discussing “Early Departures” by Justin A Reynolds. We discuss a toxic relationship, abandonment, and death in this YA sci-fi novel about grief, loss, and second chances. Robin read this as an ARC last year and is pleased to report that their re-read of the final version held up. TITLE: Early Departures AUTHOR: Justin A. ReynoldsPUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen BooksYEAR: 2020LENGTH: 480 pagesAGE: Young AdultGENRE: Science FictionRECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for ableist language (brief), toxic relationship, grief, vomit, pregnancy, drowning, car accident, parental death, major character death, death. Topic 1: Toxic Relationship. Begins at (1:35), CW for Toxic relationships. Topic 2: Abandonment. Begins at (13:10), CW for Parental death, death, abandonment. Topic 3: Death. Begins at (22:05), CW for Parental death, death. Promo for Half Damage by Crit Chat; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (33:00). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.