The Library Coven

It’s our final episode (!), and we’re discussing A Tempest of Tea, the much anticipated new novel by Hafsah Faizal. We meet Arthie Casimir and her crew who run a tea-house-turned-blood-house called Spindrift in the city of White Roaring. When Spindrift is threatened, Arthie is forced to make alliances and pull off a dangerous heist. There are vampires, colonial shenanigans, forgeries, and intrigue galore. The book ends on a serious cliffhanger, and we don’t know when to expect the next installment. Links for ways to keep in touch included below Recommend if you like… Hafsah’s other duology The Sands of Arawiya (We Hunt the Flame episode 32 and We Free the Stars episode 54) Sabaa Tahir if you like books that deal with colonialism set in a magical world (An Ember in the Ashes episode 4; A Torch Against the Night episode 7; A Reaper at the Gates episode 10; and A Sky Beyond the Storm episode 50) Definitely Peaky Blinders which was how Hafsah marketed this book – as Peaky Blinders with vampires, although this book is way less violent! Six of Crows (episode 22) and Crooked Kingdom (episode 29) by Leigh Bardugo since Arthie and Kaz have similar vibes. how to find us slash keep in touch after the show ends: Jessie shares baking adventures at jessie.mae.bakes (on instagram and TikTok) and knitting escapades at jessie.mae.knits on instagram. kelly is less online but can still be found making queer community radio with the OutSources Collective on KNGU (kgnu.org/category/outsources) or at kellyjdrumright.com. As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

Show announcement: several months ago we decided that it’s time for The Library Coven to come to an end, so this will be our final season. Over the past nearly 6 years we’ve loved making the show and forging connections with folks we never would have met otherwise. But it’s time for our HEAs*. Whether you’re a new listener or someone who’s been with us since early days, thank you for giving us your attention <3 Links for ways to keep in touch included below *happily-ever-afters Onto the penultimate episode! We were both captivated by the debut horror novel I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea. Laure has been working incredibly hard at the Ballet Academy of Paris, putting her body on the line in the process in a world filled with seemingly innocent white girls in pink tutus. But the world of ballet is cutthroat, and there’s no space for a Black ballerina. When Laure makes an otherworldly pact, she’s able to make people do her bidding. But when others who’ve also sold pieces of themselves start dying, Laure is sure she’s next – trying to keep up with her ballet while figuring out who’s hunting them down. Chaos ensues as white privilege and racism strike yet again. Recommend if you like… Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Get Out Black Swan Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton or the tv show adaptation   Blacks in Ballet on instagram how to find us slash keep in touch after the show ends: Jessie shares baking adventures at jessie.mae.bakes (on instagram and TikTok) and knitting escapades at jessie.mae.knits on instagram. kelly is less online but can still be found making queer community radio with the OutSources Collective on KNGU (kgnu.org/outsources) or at kellyjdrumright.com. As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

Today we’re talking about House of Marionne by J. Elle, which introduces us to 17-year-old Quell who has lived an itinerant life with her mother for *reasons* (namely, the forbidden power Quell wields), but is then forced to go directly into the belly of the beast…the magic boarding school at a lavish estate near New Orleans. Will Quell be able to fit into the debutante society and hide her secret from the hot mentor slash assassin Jordan and domineering Grandma slash Headmistress?! Y’all can probably surmise the answer is yes…until it’s no. Chaos ensues! Recommend if you like… Magical boarding school stories (e.g., the series that shall not be named, The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton – middle grade example) The Belles series by Dhonielle Clayton  (from J) “I saw someone say this book was Mortal Instruments meets the Grishaverse and I would add Folk of Aire, Gossip Girl, and The Originals to that, and I think that’s a pretty apt description.”  As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

In this episode we discuss the first book in the Nampesheweisit series, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. We both listened to the audiobook narrated by Charlie Flyte. J starts the show giving it 4.5 stars but revises the rating up to 5 by the end –– this book rocks! Recommend if you like… How to Train Your Dragon ofc Magic school books generally Mythology stories. There’s a lot of mythology from Anequs’s people and Norse mythology Funny enough, I think if you like this book, you might also enjoy Jane Austen. Both authors are really funny and point out the differences between those from different societies, although it’s about class in Jane Austen, and both poke fun at some of the ridiculousness of traditionRecommend if you like… Here’s a short post by Blackgoose about the impact of (the lack of) representation of indigenous characters in SFF. Jessie mentions Apple Skin to Core by Eric Gansworth. As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

Our season 6 winning streak continues with The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa. We both LOVED the audiobook narrated by the incomparable Vico Ortiz (Jim from Our Flag Means Death). The novel tells the story of Mar, a magical enby/genderqueer/trans-guy whose father made a deal with the literal devil that comes back to haunt everyone. It’s a book about chosen family, survivor’s guilt, alchemizing self loathing learned from the wider society, and picking your battles (against colonizers, obvi).  Recommend if you like… Our Flag Means Death (show on HBO) Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas for another latine trans guy magical protagonist Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callendar (adult series) for more revolutionary plots and complicated feels (Episode 45)  Hook movie and/or Pirates of the Caribbean  As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

Y’all, we’re on a winning streak with the books this season! That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams is the first book in the Forage and Fracture Saga, and it’s set in 1600s England.. It’s got Fae, Orisha, Shakespeare, a cool magical system, and a gorgeous cover! Get thee to the library for a copy! Recommend if you like… Legendborn and Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn (Episode 51 and Episode 75, respectively) Folk of the Air series by Holly Black (Episode 8, Episode 16, and Episode 35) Shakespeare stuff, including adaptations Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi (Episode 2) The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper “A Brief History of Women in [European] Theatre” (Women’s Museum of California) “The First English Actresses” (by Georgiana Ziegler for the Folger Shakespeare Library) – apparently they came onto the scene (stage! lol) in 1660ish. As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

We absolutely loved The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag! This graphic novel is a quick and cute read that digs into the nuances of coming out in various contexts and relationships, among other conflicts (*cough* rich people and their yachts *cough*). And the illustrations are beautiful!  Note: k’s audio is a bit weird on this one, but we tried to mitigate it. Sorry about that!! Recommend if you like… Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang Heartstopper comics and show mermaids! As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

In this episode we discuss Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong, a novel in her “Secret Shanghai” series. While technically preceded by These Violent Delights and These Violent Ends, we didn’t start with those and still very much enjoyed Foul Lady Fortune. The sequel, Foul Heart Huntsman, is out now. Thanks to the publisher for sending us some of Chloe’s books! Recommend if you like… Dread Nation duology by Justina Ireland – another badass duo in historical fiction setting any Captain America slash other comic super-spy content “The Journey” by Mary Oliver (from her 1986 book Dream Work) As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

In today’s show we are mixing things up and discussing the short story anthology Fit for the Gods: Greek Mythology Reimagined edited by Jenn Northington and S. Zainab Williams. It has robots, AI, reincarnations, spaceship races, climate catastrophe, horny gods, post/other-than-human consciousness, and much more! Recommend if you like… Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World edited by Yoshi Yoshitani Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology edited by Hope Nicholson A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope edited by Patrice Caldwell Levar Burton Reads podcast – let the reading rainbow himself perform short stories for you!!! For some critical and accessible thinking about machine learning, AI, and technology in general, J recommends Meredith Broussard’s book More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

In this episode about A Crown so Cursed, we’re back in the world of the Nightmare-verse in the final (we think?) installment of the series that we started reading all the way back in the show’s first season. Alice is facing a new types of nightmares, learning new histories about her family, and trying to protect both our world and wonderland. Chaos obviously ensues! Recommend if you like… Previous Nightmareverse books – A Blade So Black (Episode 13) and A Dream So Dark (Episode 31) Legendborn by Tracey Deonn (Episode 51) I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea (coming later this season) House of Marionne by J. Elle (coming later this season) “Alzheimer’s and Dementia” (Mayo Clinic article) As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]). Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com. We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast! You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord. Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com. We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)