E.09: From Beowulf to Booster Drafts
This episode of Rolling Into Fantasy features a deep dive into the literary experiences of Laurent and Marie-Noor, highlighting their contrasting views on two fantasy books: "The Last Wish" by Andrzej Sapkowski and "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke. Marie-Noor shares her struggles with "The Last Wish," citing its slow pacing and philosophical dialogue as barriers to her enjoyment, while Laurent praises "Piranesi" for its unique style and atmospheric writing. They also discuss their recent foray into Magic: The Gathering, including an exciting unboxing of Kamigawa booster packs and their experiences at a local Comic Con. The conversation touches on the significance of storytelling in both books and music, culminating in Marie-Noor's recommendation of the album "Ninth Hour," which offers a modern retelling of Beowulf. The episode wraps up with reflections on upcoming books and potential guest appearances, leaving listeners eager for the next installment.
The ninth episode of Rolling Into Fantasy immerses listeners in a delightful exploration of both literature and gaming. Laurent and Marie-Noor begin by reminiscing about their previous guest episode, expressing excitement about future guests. They then dive into their individual reading experiences, focusing on 'The Last Wish' by Andrzej Sapkowski and 'Piranesi' by Susanna Clarke. Marie-Noor candidly shares her struggles with Sapkowski's writing style, describing it as overly poetic and slow, which made it difficult for her to engage with the story. In contrast, Laurent speaks highly of 'Piranesi,' highlighting its captivating atmosphere and the protagonist's introspective journey through a labyrinthine world. Their discussion underscores the subjective nature of reading and how personal preferences can shape one's literary experiences.
The episode then transitions to a lively discussion on gaming, where Laurent recounts his experience at Comic Con Brussels, providing insights into the atmosphere and organization of the event compared to the more expansive FACTS convention. Despite missing FACTS this year, he shares the joy of participating in a Magic: The Gathering booster draft, emphasizing the thrill of deck-building and the strategic nature of gameplay. The hosts reflect on the community aspect of tabletop gaming and how it fosters connections among gamers, making it a cherished pastime that brings people together.
As the episode draws to a close, the Bard's Ballad segment introduces listeners to 'Ninth Hour,' an album that reinterprets the epic poem Beowulf through music. Marie-Noor delves into the album's themes of humanity, power, and the internal struggles of its characters, paralleling the narrative depth found in literature. Laurent shares his admiration for the death metal band Frozen Soul, noting their positive approach to heavy themes and their unique connection to Magic: The Gathering. This segment encapsulates the rich interplay between music and storytelling, showcasing how both art forms can inspire and resonate with audiences, leaving listeners eager for more insightful discussions in future episodes.
Takeaways:
- The hosts discussed their reading experiences, highlighting their contrasting opinions on the Witcher series.
- Laurent enjoyed Piranesi for its unique style and philosophical depth, rating it highly.
- Marie-Noor found A Monster Calls engaging but questioned its target audience's maturity level.
- The hosts expressed disappointment about missing the Facts event, sharing their friends' feedback.
- Laurent described the Comic Con experience as mixed due to its lack of organization.
- Frozen Soul, a death metal band, creatively merges music with Magic the Gathering gameplay.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Magic the Gathering
Transcript
And welcome to episode nine of Rolling Into Fantasy.
Laurent:Last time we spoke with our very first guest, and that was quite an experience.
Laurent:So thanks again, Sam.
Laurent:We really enjoyed that, and so we hope you did as well.
Laurent:It's something that we will most probably, well, definitely repeat.
Laurent:We will have other guests.
Laurent:More on that perhaps later.
Marian:Looking forward to it.
Laurent:Excellent.
Laurent:And so for now, it's, I wouldn't say business as usual, but we want to cover segments which we have covered in the past.
Laurent:Speaking of which.
Laurent:So we'll have some topics in Tales from the Tome.
Laurent:Sorry.
Laurent:And perhaps we're going to talk about a little unboxing that we did very recently.
Laurent:Also talking about a recent event we went to, or at least that I went to.
Laurent:And we'll have more on, well, let's say the bard's ballad.
Laurent:So music definitely is in there.
Laurent:And perhaps we'll see what we can include in our next episode.
Laurent:But first, let's start with this episode.
Laurent:I'm still Laurent and I'm still Marian.
Laurent:Or Excellent.
Laurent:So we did manage to read some books.
Laurent:That was not really the case prior to that, but I'm happy to say that I managed to read two books.
Laurent:What about you?
Laurent:Ah, great.
Laurent:So I don't know.
Laurent:Who wants to start off first?
Laurent:I did read the one that you suggested.
Marian:So did I.
Laurent:And so did you, sort of.
Laurent:Oh, perhaps you want to start there.
Laurent:So remind us, what did you read?
Laurent:Or what was the book that I asked you to read?
Marian:The book that you gave me was called the Last Wish from.
Marian:Oh, boy.
Marian:Andre Sapkowski.
Laurent:Close enough.
Laurent:Sapkowski.
Laurent:Yeah, sure.
Marian:Something, something.
Marian:And basically that's the first book in the Witcher series.
Laurent:Yep.
Laurent:Correct.
Marian:I started this book.
Laurent:That's a good start.
Laurent:You started it?
Marian:I didn't finish it.
Laurent:Oh, okay.
Marian:And I just.
Marian:I had to put it down.
Marian:I.
Marian:I couldn't do it.
Laurent:Why?
Marian:Oh, it was.
Marian:I did not like it.
Laurent:You did not like.
Laurent:Okay, what was the reason?
Laurent:Why didn't you like it?
Marian:For starters, I just.
Marian:I feel like the writing style was not for me.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:I can't really explain why.
Marian:I just.
Marian:A lot of people.
Marian:I've seen people describe his writing style as being very poetic, very lyrical.
Marian:I don't know about that.
Marian:I just found it annoying.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:It's the way he writes.
Marian:It's a lot of slow pacing.
Laurent:I mean, we're accustomed to that in the fantasy genre.
Marian:True, true.
Marian:But the way that when I say it's slow paced, there's a lot of discussions, a lot of philosophical discussions, and the focus is A lot on the talking and not on the action.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:And it's just.
Marian:I'm already not a fan of books that talk a lot and don't do a lot.
Marian:It's like, don't.
Marian:Just don't think.
Marian:Just do it.
Laurent:Okay, but is that your main grab?
Laurent:Is it something that you would.
Laurent:Because if I just listen to the arguments that you.
Laurent:You bring to the table, it sounds very similar to what you said to.
Marian:Lord of the Rings.
Laurent:Exactly.
Marian:Yeah, I know.
Marian:It reminded me a lot of my struggles with Lord of the Rings.
Marian:Okay.
Marian:I know with books, if they're talking more than stuff is happening, I tend to.
Marian:Tend to get bored a lot if there's too much dialogue in a book, it just annoys me.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:Plus, I feel like we got introduced to the story without much context.
Marian:You just get thrown in.
Marian:And I know for a fact that if it wasn't that I.
Marian:If I didn't see the series beforehand, I would have been so lost.
Marian:I would have been lost from the beginning, like, what the hell is going on?
Laurent:Okay, okay, okay.
Laurent:Was there anything that you did like?
Laurent:So I'm assuming not much.
Laurent:No, no.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:But I mean, I did recommend you this book, not because I liked it, but more to check whether you would like it, because I had a very similar experience.
Marian:Okay.
Laurent:I shelved it as well.
Marian:Okay.
Marian:And why did you not like it?
Laurent:I wouldn't say because of the same arguments that you use, but mainly because I was not captivated by the story or the writing style.
Laurent:I got a bit lost and I just basically lost interest.
Marian:That's.
Marian:Yeah, that's how I felt.
Marian:It's like I said, if I did not watch the series, I totally would not have been able to follow with the story he was telling.
Laurent:Now, truth be told, we've been told that the.
Laurent:The copy, or at least the edition that we both read.
Laurent:So the same book, it's a rewritten version.
Laurent:But I didn't know about this until, you know, somebody told me.
Marian:Apparently the original version is very hard to find nowadays.
Laurent:Yeah, but then again, you would assume that it shouldn't or it wouldn't be so different.
Laurent:I mean, if it's rewritten, do they mean then, like, it's totally rewritten and just based on the drafts or the first draft version?
Laurent:I don't know.
Laurent:I cannot compare.
Laurent:But yeah, no, it didn't work out for me.
Laurent:And same like you, I really did like the series.
Marian:Yeah, I loved it and I found it such a shame that I couldn't enjoy the book.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:Same But I.
Laurent:I just wanted to know whether it was me.
Laurent:And I know.
Laurent:I knew that you are a big fan of the Witch.
Laurent:So I just wanted to see, is it something that you can get accustomed to and that you, you know, you.
Laurent:You.
Laurent:You just go through the pain of reading this, this kind of book, but apparently you couldn't be bothered either.
Marian:No, it.
Marian:After, like, even 20 pages, trust me, I read more than 20 pages.
Marian:But after even 20 pages, I was already annoyed.
Marian:And that annoyance just grew with every page.
Laurent:Okay?
Marian:And it's.
Marian:They just kept talking and talking, and I was.
Marian:Can we just move on?
Marian:How many times are you going to ask about the Strega?
Marian:Yeah, like, you already said that you fought other Strigas before, so just get to it, man.
Marian:Just stop these interrogations.
Marian:You already know.
Laurent:All right, okay, okay, okay.
Laurent:Fair enough.
Laurent:Fair enough.
Laurent:Perhaps then I'll continue with the first book that I read.
Laurent:This is also the one that you suggested.
Marian:Please, please, do tell me.
Laurent:So that was Piranesi by Susanna Clark.
Laurent:Now, you did sell it to me because it's good.
Marian:It's a really good book.
Laurent:I agree.
Laurent:I agree.
Laurent:I did like it at first.
Laurent:Again, very in line with what you told me.
Laurent:You know, you're a bit lost, and it's a bit an awkward situation.
Laurent:But I think even after 20 pages, I got a good feeling about it and it captivated me.
Laurent:And now this is still, I would say, a recent book.
Laurent: I mean, it was published in: Marian:That's fairly recent.
Laurent:Yeah, four years.
Laurent:But it's really unique in its style.
Laurent:And it's like this endless labyrinth.
Laurent:Labyrinth world.
Laurent:So all the chambers, it's like a big labyrinth, but where the protagonist, the person called Piranesi, he explores this world which is filled with statues and these.
Laurent:I don't want to spoil too much, but I mean, these chambers, some of them get flooded with tides, but the whole thing, the whole labyrinth is also a character.
Laurent:It lives.
Laurent:Right.
Laurent:And then you become aware of this, of this very atypical character.
Laurent:And it's really this atmosphere that is really intriguing speaking.
Laurent:But the writing style was something so beautiful.
Marian:But also, I absolutely loved the writing style.
Marian:It was amazing.
Laurent:Exactly.
Laurent:And it's absolutely right, what they said in various reviews that I've seen.
Laurent:It is indeed very elegant.
Laurent:The prose is very elegant.
Laurent:And I think also what is.
Laurent:Yeah, unlike conventional fantasy, is that the main character, so Piranesa, is highly introspective, and it's almost philosophical, almost.
Marian:That I found quite surprising because it is a Very philosophical, very poetic book.
Marian:But like in a way that it's not constantly just talking to each other and discussing philosophy.
Marian:This stuff is constantly happening but in a philosophical way and that I enjoy.
Laurent:Yeah, same.
Laurent:So to cut a long story short and actually the book is not that long.
Marian:No, it's a really short book.
Marian:It's a very short, very short read.
Laurent:For a fantasy.
Marian:Yeah, yeah, for fantasy.
Laurent:But what I did like, and I jotted this down, so what I did like is the originality, I mean the quiet intensity of its mystery.
Laurent:That's one I already mentioned.
Laurent:The atmospheric writing, the style is.
Laurent:Yeah, very unique.
Laurent:And then you have the very layered storytelling.
Laurent:Oh yes.
Laurent:And I mean it has been compared to other books but I mean I cannot really compare it myself.
Laurent:So I have not read enough, I think to make a good comparison.
Laurent:But I'd say those are the three main things that I really like about the book.
Laurent:The dislike.
Laurent:I didn't really dislike anything but I can understand why some people might be put off because it's this atypical fantasy, meaning it's not world building and you don't have these big epic battles and stuff like that.
Laurent:I mean it's none of that.
Laurent:So if you haven't read it and you're just diving expecting that kind of traditional fantasy, well, yeah, you'll be put off.
Laurent:But I highly recommend it.
Laurent:For me it really stood out compared to other fantasy books that I've read so far and I mean I'd like to start with rating system.
Laurent:I just jotted this down with the Golden Dragons.
Laurent:You know, on a scale of five Golden Dragons, I would give this one absolutely a five out of five.
Laurent:I mean highly recommend it.
Laurent:So that's, that's my first book that I read and so I really want to thank you for recommending me.
Marian:You're welcome.
Laurent:All right, excellent.
Laurent:So you did read a second book and did you finish that one?
Marian:Yes, I did, I did.
Laurent:Do tell.
Marian:So the second book that I read is A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.
Marian:So this book is about a 13 year old boy named Connor and he is coping with the fact that his mother is terminally ill and he getting bullied at school.
Marian:So there's a lot of stuff going on in his life and he's trying to cope with it, he's really struggling.
Marian:Then one night he gets visited by this tree like creature and he proposes that he's going to tell three tales and in exchange he wants Connor's truth.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:And it's on just a story about grief and loss.
Marian:And these three tales tell they.
Marian:They're all a very fantasy vill, but they have underlying motives and they're very symbolic and kind of showing, Connor, this is your truth, this is how you are feeling right now.
Marian:They're kind of trying to tell Connor, yo, guy, this is how you feel.
Marian:And the world isn't as simple as you try to make it out to be.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:And I actually really like this one.
Marian:Oh.
Marian:The way that it explored very, very deep emotions using fantasy stories and then let a 13 year old boy interpret them.
Marian:It was a very fun read.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:Excellent though.
Marian:Sorry it was heavy.
Marian:Okay.
Laurent:Let's put it.
Laurent:Just, let's leave it at that.
Marian:It's heavy.
Marian:And the writing style kind of reminded me of the writing style of Erin Morgenstern or Susanna Clark.
Marian:It's kind of in that vibe I gotcha.
Marian:If you see.
Marian:You see it.
Laurent:All right.
Laurent:Anything you disliked about it?
Marian:Well, one thing I kind of struggled with to see is what was the target audience?
Marian:Because.
Laurent:Meaning that you weren't too sure what the target audience was or you don't agree?
Laurent:No.
Laurent:It's not really clear for you.
Marian:Yes.
Marian:Because overall the storyline is very, very simple, very straightforward that I'd say, you know, teens could read this.
Marian:This is a very straightforward storyline.
Marian:But then it deals with such heavy emotions.
Marian:Like there's a lot of heavy weight to the book if you really think about it.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:That I'm like, if you really want to understand it, you need to be a little bit older.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:So it was like, who is supposed to read this?
Marian:I don't know.
Marian:But I enjoyed it.
Marian:That's the most important part.
Laurent:Absolutely.
Laurent:But you would recommend it?
Marian:Yes.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:And it's also, apparently in my book there weren't any, but there are illustrations of the tales that this creature tells as well, so.
Laurent:Meaning the edition you have is void of illustrations, but they're.
Marian:They exist.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:And other copies, they will be included.
Marian:Just the one I have doesn't.
Laurent:So that's where you are a bit disappointed.
Marian:Yes.
Marian:I wanted the illustrations.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:Any, any scoring that you could give it out of five golden dragons.
Laurent:We only deal in golden dragons here, so no silver, no copper.
Marian:Okay.
Marian:Oh, that's a toughie.
Marian:I'd say like about three and a half.
Laurent:Well, that's still, that's fairly good.
Laurent:Still.
Marian:It's, you know, I really enjoyed the book.
Marian:I wouldn't say it's one of those books where I was completely blown away, but I still really enjoyed it.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:Well, that's, that's good.
Laurent:And Three and a Half in my book is still a very good book.
Marian:Yeah, it was a good read.
Marian:I really enjoyed it.
Laurent:Excellent.
Laurent:And then the other one, I mean, I had set my mind on reading 3, but alas, you know, it didn't work out.
Laurent:I'm already happy that I finished the second one.
Laurent:And this was one that I also mentioned in a previous episode as being a classic book.
Laurent:And it's Earthsea, A Wizard of the Earthsea by Ursula Le Gin.
Laurent:And I mean, this is.
Laurent:And it's really important to set this for the context.
Laurent:It's a book that was published in the late 60s.
Marian:Okay.
Laurent:So just, you know, bear with me.
Laurent:It's old, it's an older book definitely, but it is still regarded as one of those works defining really fantasy literature.
Laurent:And in the novel you follow this main character, ged, and he's a young and very gifted mage.
Laurent:So.
Laurent:And he learns about his powers, responsibilities, but also about self identity.
Laurent:And this is, this is where it.
Laurent:It's a bit different, I guess, even for that time it's a bit different because the emphasis is really on that personal growth.
Laurent:And obviously you have this heroic destiny, but it's all about the personal growth, which I thought really, really cool.
Laurent:And because you see get struggling, you know, with pride, with mistakes, self acceptance.
Laurent:So, you know, it makes him a reliable human, very human hero.
Laurent:And this is where the.
Laurent:It's a bit contradictory, you know, where you have fantasy hero, but he's very human, although he's a mage anyway.
Laurent:I mean, and also the world building is not like the other classic books, you know, very epic, very large world building.
Laurent:It's much more subtle.
Laurent:And I mean, this obviously is still the first tome, the first book in the series.
Laurent:But even with the first one that I've read, I immediately saw, you know, the very rich, not only the language, but also the rich levels within the story because, you know, it portrays the different culture of the islands, the different people.
Laurent:And another thing that struck me is I didn't see immediate parallels with, you know, your typical medieval Europe, because a lot of fantasy books, you know, they take their inspiration from medieval Europe.
Laurent:You know, think about the castles, the knights, blah, blah, blah.
Laurent:And this is a non western archetypes.
Laurent:So.
Laurent:And having said that, this book has also influenced, I would say, even later authors from a later generation even.
Laurent:And apparently this I wrote Jemisin was also a more recent author, was very inspired by this.
Laurent:So I really liked it.
Laurent:It came as a surprise.
Laurent:At first I was a bit wary that it might be too slow and that it would show its age.
Laurent:So it did take a few pages, I'd say at least 30 pages to really get me going.
Laurent:But then I was hooked.
Laurent:So again I would say similar but in a different way but similar to the previous book.
Laurent:It's the poetic language, the introspective nature of the main character and his journey and you know, how it makes him grow and how he reflects on his power and the responsibility that comes with it.
Laurent:So very human thing.
Laurent:And it's also a cool thing that the clear cut good versus evil, it's not what it is.
Laurent:It's a lot of gray zone layers.
Laurent:So it's much more real.
Laurent:So that's what I really liked about it.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:I already touched about.
Laurent:What I just liked a little bit less was this.
Laurent:It's.
Laurent:It's a slow paced book, that's for sure.
Laurent:And having said already that it's.
Laurent:It's about self discovery, you know, it's.
Laurent:It's very personal.
Laurent:So it does lack that fast paced action again but you know, once in a while and perhaps it was the right time for me to read this book.
Laurent:After a few fast paced, more modern fantasy books.
Laurent:I'd say this was a very welcome change and being a good book all in all.
Laurent:So I would definitely read the second volume.
Laurent:So I will.
Laurent:I will continue this.
Laurent:So Earthsea was definitely a nice change.
Laurent:And as far as scoring it on a scale of five golden Dragons, I would like you.
Laurent:I would give it a three and a half.
Marian:Okay.
Laurent:So for me that's a very.
Laurent:It's pretty good.
Laurent:Absolutely.
Laurent:So what was your.
Laurent:That was your two books, right?
Marian:Yes, my two books.
Laurent:There were two books I still had and I had my.
Laurent:I had put my idea on reading a third which I didn't finish yet.
Laurent:I mean I didn't shelve it but I haven't finished it.
Laurent:But I'm really enjoying this one.
Laurent:It's perilous times.
Laurent:But more on that in our next episode.
Laurent:I'll definitely finish it and hopefully we'll have a.
Laurent:A second book as well and we'll see whether we make some recommendations for one another.
Marian:Oh God.
Laurent:But now it's just too early.
Laurent:But I might give you this one a good recommendation.
Marian:Yes, please.
Marian:You can't keep giving me books you dislike.
Laurent:No, but I mean I do remember that.
Laurent:I remember that you had a shortlist of books.
Laurent:Just to mention.
Laurent:Just a reminder you were going to read about the Bone Season.
Marian:Yes.
Laurent:Eragon.
Laurent:Yes.
Laurent:Perhaps even the Priory of the Orange Tree.
Marian:I mean those are Just the three that I mentioned were a Monster Calls, which I read now.
Laurent:Excellent.
Marian:Aragon and the Bone Season.
Marian:Those three were on my very short list.
Marian:And ignoring the very long list.
Laurent:All right, fair enough.
Laurent:And what?
Laurent:Also speaking of long lists, I did.
Laurent:I'm just going through my notes.
Laurent:I already started and it's a bit early because it's only early November.
Laurent:Yes.
Laurent: 'm already looking forward to: Marian:2025 is going to treat us so good when it comes to book releases.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:Well, and for that I've picked out just a few.
Laurent:And I promise it's just a few.
Laurent:I just picked out one I know I picked out.
Laurent:Perhaps you want to go first with the one that really caught your eye.
Marian:It's because it's the only one I could remember, to be honest.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:I know there are way more books that I'm looking forward to, but I just.
Marian:When I saw like.
Marian:Oh, we're doing anticipated books.
Marian:Yep, that one.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:That's the one.
Laurent:And which is the one?
Marian:It's Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarrows.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:Which is the third book in the fourth Wings series.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:Would I say that this series is exceptionally good?
Marian:No, it's more like a guilty pleasure kind of book that I read.
Laurent:Fair enough.
Marian:It's like, you know those TV programs that you can just watch with your brain shut off.
Laurent:Oh, okay.
Marian:It's that type of series.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:But I mean, as long as you.
Laurent:You enjoyed the previous books, I.
Laurent:I.
Marian:Like the universe and the whole concept of the books.
Marian:That's why I like reading it.
Marian:I wouldn't say that it's like mind blowing, like amazing or something.
Marian:It's like.
Marian:No, definitely not.
Marian:Because I just still enjoy reading it.
Laurent:That's the main thing you want to get out of a book.
Marian:You know, you have those books that are completely mind blowing, life changing.
Marian:You need to lay down for a few hours to think about it and then you just have guilty pleasure kind of books.
Laurent:And you need those as well.
Marian:Yes.
Laurent:Okay, well, any idea when it's coming out?
Marian:I don't know the exact date, but it does come out in January.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:So it's early.
Laurent:Very early.
Marian:Very early.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:Okay, cool.
Laurent:I wrote down a few.
Marian:Yeah, I can see that.
Marian:A few already did.
Marian:Caught my eye because I already also know of the series.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:I'll start with one and I think I'll be one of many and perhaps we might.
Marian:Is it finally coming out?
Laurent:No, no.
Laurent:Hold your Horses.
Laurent:I was about to say, you know, I put it on top so I can get it out of the way because honestly, I don't think it'll ever come out.
Marian:I just saw the title.
Marian:Wait, damn it.
Marian:Is it finally coming out?
Laurent:No, no, no.
Laurent:So we're talking about the sixth book in the series of A Song of Ice and fire by George R.R.
Laurent:martin.
Laurent:So being, you know, the next book called the Winds of Winter.
Laurent:Now, this book has been the last decade.
Laurent:It's actually more than 10 years that he's been supposedly writing, planning, plotting about it.
Marian:I mean, it's either never coming out or it must be exceptionally great if you plan or plot for it.
Marian:A decade.
Laurent:I hope for the latter, but I'm afraid of the first.
Laurent:And I mean, we all know that.
Laurent:A big reason why the delay in at least as far as I understood it is obviously the Game of Thrones TV series.
Laurent:That's, you know, it came in between.
Laurent:And he was in much.
Laurent:He was busy, he was invested or at least involved in it.
Laurent:Didn't always like how it, you know, evolved.
Laurent:But I think that really took time off and, you know, it didn't do him good in writing.
Laurent:That's clear.
Laurent:But I'm a bit afraid that we might not see it.
Laurent:And mind you, this is book six of well planned seven books.
Laurent:So I'm no longer holding my breath, but still there's a little flame burning, you know, a little candle.
Laurent:Yeah, I have a little hope.
Marian:Still didn't even know there was supposed to be a book after book six.
Marian:Yeah, I thought he's just struggling with the last book.
Marian:Oh, no.
Laurent:Well, the thing is, and I might be wrong, so supposedly there's going to be seven books.
Laurent:But what I understood was the last, last two books would be huge volumes.
Laurent:I mean, we're talking about each of sort of the last two.
Laurent:It would easily be each more than 1,000 pages.
Marian:Fun.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:So I mean, that might be a reason, but still, come on, a decade.
Laurent:Come on.
Marian:Yeah, this.
Laurent:Yeah, it's a bit long.
Marian:So anyway, decade is a bit much.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:Moving on.
Laurent:The ones that hopefully will come out, but I mean, at least they have dates already.
Laurent:So I'm a bit more hopeful for.
Marian:Usually when they do already have dates, they should be completely written.
Laurent:They're fine.
Laurent:And I'll start off with the next two.
Laurent:These are new to me, but they really.
Marian:I did not recognize the first two.
Laurent:Well, they caught my eye one evening so I just took out the introduction and I'll just read them because that's exactly what caught my attention.
Laurent:So first one is, and I have to apologize if it's an author that I hadn't heard of until now is Sarah Omer or Omer.
Laurent:And it's a first series.
Laurent:So the series will be called the Chaos Constellation.
Laurent:So the first book is called the Griffin King.
Laurent:And so this is the first in the.
Laurent:In a Southwest Asian inspired epic fantasy trilogy.
Laurent:And you know, it has morally ambiguous characters.
Laurent:You know, they talk about terrifying ghouls and deadly monsters.
Laurent:So that caught my attention.
Laurent:That's one.
Laurent:But also with the combination of cutthroat dynasty politics with expansive world building, some slow burning romance, and then they put this little notion of, oh, it's really suited for fans of Godkiller by Samantha Shannon.
Marian:Oh, okay.
Laurent:Or.
Laurent:And Samantha Shannon.
Laurent:And I was like, okay, check.
Laurent:So I'm putting it on my TBR list.
Laurent:And this one is expected to be published early July next year.
Laurent:So that's the first one and then another.
Laurent:One of my favorite authors of late is Joe Abercrombie and he will start with a new series.
Laurent:I mean, he has other stuff going on, but a fresh new series is always cool.
Laurent:And the new series, or at least the new book, will be called the Devils.
Laurent:And I just copy pasted the introduction because I just wanted to read out the introduction.
Laurent:So Brother Diaz has been summoned to the secret city where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him.
Laurent:But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters.
Laurent:And the mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures for them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.
Laurent:Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort.
Laurent:With a hellish journey before him.
Laurent:It's a good thing brother Diaz has the devils on his side.
Laurent:I mean, I thought that was a cool introduction.
Laurent: s to be expected early May of: Laurent:So those are the two.
Laurent:I just wanted to take some time out and give some introduction.
Laurent:The others, I won't go into too much detail, but the first one that I read in this trilogy is the trilogy of the Fall Guts by Hannah Canner.
Laurent:Another book that you recommended.
Laurent:Me?
Laurent:Yes.
Laurent:So I.
Marian:What did I recommend?
Marian:You.
Marian:Hold on.
Marian:The.
Laurent:The God Killer.
Marian:Yeah, yeah, God Killer.
Marian:No, I didn't recommend it.
Laurent:Or you had it, but you didn't recommend it.
Laurent:But I just read it.
Marian:So what happened is.
Marian:Oh, I bought the book twice.
Laurent:That's why you gave me one and.
Marian:So my dad stole a copy and he read that copy.
Laurent:You gave it.
Laurent:I didn't steal it.
Laurent:You gave it.
Laurent:But any.
Laurent:Anyway, I really like that one, so I can recommend you that one.
Laurent:It's a cool book.
Laurent:And so the second one is absolutely on my TBR list.
Laurent:And then I found out that.
Laurent:Okay, the final book in this trilogy is coming out on March 13th, so I need to read the second one.
Laurent:But I mean, that's fine.
Laurent:I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy.
Laurent:Okay, let's move on.
Laurent:We already mentioned her.
Laurent:One of my.
Laurent:Well, quite recent favorite author, Samantha Shannon is book three over Roots of Chaos trilogy.
Laurent:I mean, there's no date yet.
Laurent:Yes.
Laurent:We're talking about the Priory of the Orange Tree.
Laurent:So this is book three.
Marian:Oh, jeez.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:And these are really big books.
Laurent:Right.
Laurent:So book three is announced, but I mean, there's no date.
Marian:So, like, this is.
Marian:Hold on.
Marian:Because book one is the start.
Marian:Book two is the prologue.
Laurent:Exactly.
Marian:Book three will be the continuation of the first book.
Laurent:I think so.
Laurent:Yeah, I think so.
Marian:I'm losing track.
Laurent:I think that's exactly what I assume.
Laurent:But unfortunately, no specific date yet.
Laurent:But it's coming.
Laurent:It's been announced.
Laurent:The script has been accepted and has been sold for the.
Laurent:Right.
Laurent:So that is.
Marian:That is a.
Marian:I do have a question because.
Marian:Made me wonder.
Marian:So like I said, the first book is to start, and then the second book is the prologue.
Laurent:Technically.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:The prequel.
Marian:Yeah, the prequel.
Marian:Yeah.
Laurent:Yeah.
Marian:Would you say that it's smarter to start with book two and then read book one?
Laurent:No, no, just start with one and then read two.
Marian:Okay.
Marian:Because.
Marian:No, I got confused like you, You.
Marian:Book one is the start, but then book two happens before that.
Marian:So the time, timeline wise, how do I read this?
Laurent:Yeah, but the prequel is like.
Laurent:If I remember correctly, it's not like 10 years before.
Laurent:It's like a few hundred years.
Laurent:So.
Laurent:No, just start with.
Laurent:Because you will have less magic and less questions if you start with book two.
Laurent:And you have to start with book one because a lot of the plot, you know, it's a book that slowly explains how this world came to be.
Laurent:Came to be.
Laurent:Exactly.
Laurent:And all the monsters.
Laurent:And in book two, it's, you know, a lot of things didn't happen yet.
Laurent:Yeah, it didn't happen, but, you know, some stuff already from book one, so.
Laurent:No, definitely start with book one.
Laurent:I mean, that's how I would do it.
Laurent:And still with the same.
Laurent:From the same author.
Laurent:So Samantha Shannon, there's a fifth installment in her bone Season.
Marian:Yes.
Marian:Yeah, I'm going to start in book one.
Laurent:Exactly.
Laurent:Well, that's.
Laurent:That's a good idea.
Laurent:Start with book one.
Laurent:But this is already the fifth installment.
Marian:And how.
Marian:How far are you into the Bone season series?
Laurent:I finished book two.
Marian:Well, how.
Laurent:How is not like liking it.
Marian:I mean, how much?
Laurent:Like, I'm not going to give it a score because I still have to make an official review.
Laurent:But I mean, it's not mind blowing, but it's very entertaining.
Laurent:It's very entertaining.
Laurent:Although I must say, having read now the first volume of Roots of Chaos, so the Priory of the Orange Tree, I preferred that one.
Laurent:Perhaps because it's such a lengthy book.
Laurent:It has much more world building, more character building, obviously.
Laurent:Obviously.
Laurent:But nevertheless, I do like what I've seen or read so far.
Laurent:But yeah, I mean, I'm already.
Laurent:Then by February, I will be three books behind.
Marian:Better start reading then.
Laurent:Exactly.
Laurent:All right, well, that's what I have set my mind on as far as books are concerned for next year.
Laurent:And.
Laurent:Oh, dear, we're only on our second segment, so.
Laurent:This second.
Marian:You talk too much.
Laurent:Yeah, I know.
Laurent:Okay, well, we can speed up a bit.
Laurent:I mean, as far as the second segment in this episode is concerned, sort of lore bound.
Laurent:Yeah, we finally.
Laurent:I finally gave into.
Laurent:Because you were eyeing this box of the gathering cards.
Marian:You know, you don't want to know for how long.
Marian:Even before we started with the podcast, it has been sitting there, dusting away.
Laurent:So we finally broke the seal and opened the Kamigawa booster draft box.
Marian:It was so much fun.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:And I really enjoyed it.
Laurent:Fun part.
Laurent:There are still many boosters sealed, but I mean, at least we gave.
Marian:I'm trying to ignore that part, but.
Laurent:We still managed to play more than one game.
Laurent:And just.
Laurent:I mean, the idea for those who might be unfamiliar with it basically is every player takes three little packs of cards.
Laurent:So obviously they have random cards in there from the Kamigawa set.
Laurent:And so you take your first card out of the first little bag and you pass on the other cards that you know you haven't chosen yet to your opponent.
Laurent:And it's always selecting a card that might suit you one by one.
Laurent:So you exchange until the pack is done and then you open a second and a third.
Marian:Yes.
Laurent:And based on that, you hopefully have created a deck.
Laurent:And then you need to insert some.
Marian:Land by all the cards that you have collected.
Marian:You're going to have more cards than what you need for the deck.
Marian:So then you have to select cards.
Marian:Cards to create a deck.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:And a deck here in this case, when you're drafting.
Laurent:So a booster draft, like it's 40 cards.
Laurent:40 cards, but that includes the lands.
Laurent:Right.
Laurent:Which you need to create your.
Laurent:The energy to.
Laurent:To summon.
Marian:So ultimately, you have to choose, like about 23 cards, more or less.
Laurent:Yep.
Laurent:But that's part of the fun as well.
Marian:Yes.
Laurent:And honestly, it had been a while since I.
Laurent:I did this, so I.
Laurent:I was really happy that we finally got to do this.
Laurent:And we even int.
Laurent:A good friend of your sister to magic.
Laurent:She really liked it by doing this booster draft.
Laurent:So.
Marian:No, she didn't do booster draft.
Marian:She just played.
Laurent:No, it was regular.
Laurent:But I mean, after that.
Laurent:Yeah, true, it was regular.
Laurent:We taught her regular game or standard, and we did a boost draft without her.
Laurent:True.
Laurent:And speaking of that, for the record.
Marian:Though, for everyone wondering, Yes, I did beat my dad.
Laurent:You had to mention that, right?
Laurent:Lucky.
Laurent:Lucky.
Marian:No, I just created a good deck.
Marian:Worked.
Laurent:Sure.
Laurent:Because you're such a pro and that's the part you like, right?
Laurent:Creating decks.
Marian:For the record, while we were building decks, my dad was taking way longer than I did because he was trying to match all his cards.
Marian:Meanwhile, how I was making my deck is, oh, I like the vibe of this card.
Marian:I like the vibe of that card.
Marian:I like the vibe of this card.
Marian:Okay.
Marian:I have my deck.
Laurent:Right.
Laurent:So you see, even that approach might work.
Marian:I did.
Marian:One thing that really helped is the fact that I chose two colors instead of three.
Marian:Three.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:But if you remember, so did I.
Marian:No, you chose.
Laurent:No, I chose.
Marian:Yeah, you chose three colors.
Laurent:I was the one with three.
Laurent:Yeah, True, true.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:I mean, if you.
Marian:And I also chose two colors that work really well together.
Laurent:Exactly.
Marian:Green and blue.
Laurent:Yeah.
Marian:Match made in heaven.
Laurent:Absolutely.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:And I always insist on.
Laurent:On trying to make it work.
Laurent:Combining white and black, which it always backfires.
Marian:Keeps trying it, and it constantly backfires.
Marian:It's honestly very funny to watch.
Laurent:Oh, dear.
Laurent:But nevertheless, I'm still really, really looking forward to the upcoming set of Magic of the Gathering, which is called.
Laurent:And I've told this in the previous one, or at least the one before that.
Marian:Foundations.
Marian:Right?
Laurent:Foundations.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:I mean, I won't go too much in detail, but it sounds really cool because it's supposed to appeal to new beginning players and more seasoned players.
Laurent:And the cards that they have already shared online, they have presented, there are so many cool cards and combinations in them.
Laurent:So I really cannot wait.
Laurent:And the pre release event will happen actually this weekend, so I'll be going with your brother.
Marian:I wasn't allowed to join.
Marian:I wasn't even invited to the party.
Marian:Get it, get it?
Laurent:No, no, you were.
Marian:No, I wasn't.
Marian:No, I wasn't.
Marian:No, I wasn't.
Laurent:Anyway, but we'll go there to the pre release and be sure that I will be covering my first impression on that.
Laurent:So that's as much as I have for the unboxing of what we had, you know, in the last week or so or two weeks.
Laurent:Then we did, or at least I did visit a fantasy event.
Laurent:Usually every year we go, you know, with all the siblings and myself and some friends, we go to the annual biggest fair, which is Facts.
Laurent:Unfortunately, you know, this year we couldn't go.
Marian:You know how many of my friends I had to turn down?
Marian:I had at least five.
Marian:At some point, I lost count.
Marian:I was like, yo, you want to join us at Facts?
Marian:Even the day off is like, yo, I bought too many tickets.
Marian:You want one for free?
Marian:I was like, my dude, I'm not even close.
Marian:I want to, sure, but I can't.
Laurent:Nope.
Laurent:No.
Laurent:We were away on a family trip, which was nice, but we got to miss Facts.
Laurent:And in a certain way, perhaps it's a good thing because.
Marian:Yeah, but my wallet is very happy, I admit.
Laurent:Yep, sure.
Laurent:Exactly.
Laurent:Now, having said that, some of my friends, just like you, they did go and they told me, I don't know what your friends shared, but the overall feedback that I got was that it was so crowded.
Laurent:I mean, and, you know, in.
Laurent:In the last years, they've only improved their organization.
Laurent:You know, they learn every year.
Laurent:And one of the challenges is, obviously, it's the big crowd.
Laurent:I mean, this is a huge crowd, you know, spread over a whole weekend.
Laurent:But apparently it was so crowded that people had to queue quite long before getting in.
Laurent:And in the.
Laurent:At the event itself, in the different halls where it's organized, it was just too crowded.
Laurent:So less.
Laurent:Yeah, less fun to be in, apparently.
Laurent:I mean, that's the feedback that I got.
Laurent:Now, the event that I went to with your brother is.
Laurent:I would call it a bit smaller version.
Laurent:And perhaps I'm doing it not right, But I always consider it to be like a smaller, similar version.
Laurent:It's called Comic Con Brussels.
Laurent:To be honest, I was a bit.
Laurent:A bit disappointed in the sense that it had no distinct theme, which you do find at Facts.
Laurent:I mean, they have, like, an overarching theme.
Laurent:Fine.
Laurent:But at least they divide or they structure their halls because they have several halls.
Laurent:They organize their halls by type of vendors or organizations or what have you?
Laurent:So it's well structured.
Laurent:And if you want to find, let's say all the, you know, shops, they'll be in one hall.
Laurent:If you want to find all the fan clubs or gaming clubs, they will be in a different hall.
Laurent:Whereas the event in Brussels, which.
Laurent:It's more or less mixed up.
Laurent:You know, it's mixed up.
Laurent:What stood out for me was like, I would call it.
Laurent:I'll share a picture of it.
Laurent:Actually, I took a picture a life sized TIE fighter, you know, from Star Wars.
Laurent:I mean, life sized, it's.
Laurent:This thing was huge.
Laurent:But I mean, that's not the reason why I go to Comic Con.
Laurent:Right.
Laurent:I mean, I really like that one.
Laurent:But I went with your brother.
Marian:Right.
Laurent:And I think that we spent like.
Marian:An hour in there.
Marian:And then you went home an hour.
Laurent:20, an hour 15 minutes.
Laurent:And that was it.
Laurent:I mean, we.
Laurent:And we circled the whole thing twice and was it, you know.
Laurent:So yeah, I was a bit disappointed.
Laurent:Perhaps it's because we got accustomed to facts improving every year.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:Well, anyway, that's my honest feedback for the event I went to.
Laurent:And then for our last segment, Bart's ballad.
Laurent:I saw that you mentioned or you put something on your list about a new album or at least an album that you want to share.
Marian:Yes.
Marian:So do share.
Marian:It's definitely not new.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:It's just an album that I have been listening to a lot lately.
Marian:Okay.
Marian:Because I really like the music in it.
Marian:And I decided to kind of look into it, what the inspiration was for this album.
Marian:And I found the inspiration for said album very interesting.
Marian:So I wanted to share it.
Laurent:Okay.
Laurent:Who's the performer?
Laurent:Who's the artist?
Marian:The album is called Ninth Hour and it's a collaboration between Schaefer James and Kate Douglas.
Marian:I never heard of those two artists, but they work together on this album.
Laurent:Okay.
Marian:And the Ninth hour is kind of a retelling of the epic poem Beowulf.
Laurent:Oh, okay.
Marian:And it, it really goes deep into.
Marian:Well, it explores the intricacies of humankind, relationship with power and violence.
Laurent:Oh, dear.
Marian:Ok, so you follow this hero who is summoned to become a protector against some kind of enemy.
Marian:And they must confront this evil, but they're also struggling with an evil inside themselves.
Marian:It's not just the confrontation with the literal enemy and evil in this world, but they're also struggling with themselves.
Marian:And they need to come to terms with the agony of isolation and the end of life and such heavy themes.
Laurent:And heavy indeed.
Marian:It's such an amazing album.
Marian:The music is so good.
Marian:I really, really enjoyed listening to it.
Laurent:For copyright reasons, I think it's safe to say that we shouldn't be sharing any, you know, parts or songs of it.
Marian:You can just find it on Spotify.
Laurent:I know, I know.
Laurent:But, you know, it's always nice when you talk about some music.
Marian:I know, I know.
Laurent:Let's listen to it.
Laurent:But we'll definitely put the link.
Marian:See, I can.
Marian:After this episode, I can show I can let you listen to music.
Laurent:Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Laurent:Please do.
Marian:I will.
Laurent:All right.
Laurent:And what I had jotted down for Bart's ballad segment is actually a band that I already mentioned at least one once, I think in one of the first episodes we did, and it links back to one of my favorite jars.
Laurent:So it's definitely metal, but it's a band that I only discovered quite recently, like, only a year ago.
Laurent:And it's Frozen Soul.
Laurent:So it's a death metal band from Texas.
Laurent:But what is special about it is these guys, first of all, they are incredibly positive.
Laurent:You know, their mindset is really positive.
Laurent:I mean, they, like many artists, they are inspired by heavy themes or experiences that were quite troublesome in their own private life.
Laurent:And I mean, obviously it's always some kind of inspiration and to bring some good material.
Laurent:That is one.
Laurent:But address these themes and share that with their fans in a very positive way.
Laurent:So I really like that, you know, because people always say, oh, you know, this metal stuff, it's always so gloomy and dark and it's like they want to be miserable and blah, blah, blah.
Laurent:I mean, the opposite is absolutely the truth.
Laurent:Most of these kind of bands, they carry out a very positive message.
Laurent:I mean, having said that, what really struck me as being.
Laurent:I mean, this is quite unique.
Laurent:I've never heard of it or experienced this at any concert.
Laurent:You know, even.
Laurent:Even metal is these guys are very heavy Magic the Gathering fans and players and collectors.
Marian:And I don't see how that ties into heavy metal, but.
Laurent:Oh, you do, right?
Laurent:Do you see how that ties into.
Laurent:I mean, the theme.
Laurent:I mean, it's the heavy theme.
Marian:Yes.
Marian:I just.
Marian:I don't see.
Marian:We're.
Marian:Okay, we have heavy metal and we have a card game.
Laurent:Yep.
Laurent:Well, because they are such fans, they even invite fans to play while they.
Laurent:To play Magic the Gathering, you know, just in front of the stage while they play their heavy music.
Marian:Okay.
Marian:Okay.
Marian:That is something you can do.
Marian:Yep.
Laurent:And I mean, you have to imagine this.
Laurent:So in front of the stage, there's a bunch of guys and girls who just squat down all the Guys and gals.
Laurent:Yeah.
Laurent:And they just pull out their decks.
Laurent:Apparently the favorite mode of play is Commander.
Marian:Commander is very, very popular.
Marian:Of course.
Laurent:Big decks of 100 cards each.
Marian:Yeah, the Commander decks are insanely huge.
Laurent:Exactly.
Laurent:And they start playing and then the rest of the crowd just acts wild.
Laurent:Like it's supposed to be at a metal concert.
Laurent:Just all around them while the band plays.
Marian:What if everyone wants to play magic?
Laurent:Oh, well, you know, it's good that you mentioned that because not only do they allow that or even, you know, they encourage it.
Laurent:They encourage it to play at their events, but they will also visit.
Laurent:Obviously, like any Magic the Gathering fan, they will go to such events where you can play with other people, exchange cards.
Laurent:And they even did earlier this year in May.
Laurent:I found out more recently that early May they went to an event and they went there to chill with fans, exchange some cards.
Laurent:And they also made a small performance for free.
Laurent:And I mean, just this idea of a dedicated Magic the Gathering playing heavy metal band.
Laurent:It's quite special.
Laurent:Anyway, so that was my little thing that I jotted down for the Bart's ballad.
Laurent:So I'll definitely put the link to the event, but also some good songs that I now see where they got their inspiration from.
Laurent:So that's it for me.
Laurent:I know that for next episode we'll be talking about books for sure, as usual.
Laurent:Yep.
Laurent:We might want to dive into a fantasy inspired game and perhaps one that we haven't mentioned or covered at least.
Laurent:And perhaps sharing something about a second guest that we might have in our next episode or upcoming episodes.
Laurent:Okay, we'll see.
Marian:Okay.
Laurent:But until then, that's me out.
Laurent:See you.
Laurent:Or at least hear you next time.
Marian:This concludes our episode, so until next time, stay in check, enchanted, stay curious.
Laurent:And keep the fantasy alive.
