In the last episode of the year Lauren gets into Made Things with Adrian Tchaikovsky to celebrate its UK release.

Firstly they get into his degree... his writing process and a little bit into his back catalogue.

They also deep dive into Made Things with plot points and spoilers. Including which of the homonculi types Adrian would like to be

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Norse Mythology retellings or inspired fiction seem so thin on the ground compared to other mythologies so OBVIOUSLY Lauren was all over Rachel Van Dykens "Fallen Gods". Lauren finds out all about the inspiration behind it, background information needed and the US setting.

In plot points they go more into runes, more into characters and discuss the ending.

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Lauren jumped at the opportunity to speak to romantasy great Carissa Broadbent about the first in a trilogy Daughter of No Worlds after it was picked up by traditional publishers.

Talking about the inspiration behind the main characters. Carissa's feelings on booktok and transitioning to traditional publishing and those all obligatory plot spoilers

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What if you see a little something you can't quite explain but your brain tries to rationalise?

Venture into Angel City for the first in the Red City series with Lauren and author Marie Lu. Lauren gets into the world building of the alternate Los Angeles (Angel City) and it's alchemy magic system. They discuss the challenges of YA vs Adult writing, Marie's reaction to the AI emotional support kangaroo PLUS meeting our MC's on page and their first experiences with seeing alchemy IRL and no awards are given for mother of the year.

Spoilers are juicy with plot points being broken down, the escalation of the crime syndicates increasing and Lauren asks her burning "I know you did it for the plot but I don't have to like it but did you have to?"

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Head on a quest for family with Lauren and Maddie Martinez as they dive into The Maiden and Her Monster. They discuss how Maddies educational background shaped the novel and the history of the Jewish Golem myth. They also talk about the crafting of the love plot and obviously obligatory spoilers

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Jane is back for a bumper episode about one of the first women of Rome.... Fulvia.

They get into roles of women and the perfect Roman woman and what Rome was like in Fulvias time. They dig into certain events from Fulvias life (taxes), her choice to remarry and reremarry and of course THOSE bullets.

They also play and invite you to play along with one of the stressiest Shag Marry Kills ever

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We all know the story of Anthony and Cleopatra. Have you ever thought about their daughter? No Lauren hadn't either until she discovered Dr Jane Draycotts book all about her. They get into the backstory of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, iconography and retrospective romantacising. Then we get into the woman of the moment and her journey from Egyptian Princess to Roman Prisoner and then Finally African Queen. Prepare to learn more about crocodiles than you expected.

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Lauren is going full on lover girl for a summer of love with Phoenicia Rogerson and her second book Aphrodite. They cover thousands of years of mythology guided by a goddess? who admits straight away that she lies.

They get into the two origin stories of her and fitting that into an already confusing timeline and theres obvious obligatory spoilers

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