With Charles out on paternity leave (congrats, Charles!), Dylan takes a crack at doing a full solo episode of Friends Talking Fantasy.

Dylan provides some early thoughts on Joe Abercrombie’s The Devils (spoiler: it’s really good), reflects on what it's like to reread Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch, and talks to himself about how The Will of the Many helped him break out of a reading slump.

Dylan also talks through some recent fantasy-world news, including the reported cancellation of The Wheel of Time and a very human but somewhat disgruntled blog post from George R.R. Martin about Winds of Winter (sort of)

The Friends journey into the brutal heart of Christopher Buehlman’s The Daughter’s War, the grimdark prequel to The Blacktongue Thief. They unpack the stark tonal shift between the two novels—where Buehlman trades snark for sorrow, and swagger for survival. The spotlight falls on Galva, whose stoic presence in The Blacktongue Thief is given heartbreaking depth as her backstory unfolds through war, trauma, and fractured family loyalties. From hive-minded goblins to the emotional cost of legacy, the hosts explore what makes The Daughter’s War such a powerful, if punishing, read—and why some readers might not be ready for just how dark this prequel gets.

Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@friendstalkingfantasy

Sink your teeth into the wild world of revived dire wolves—yes, they were real—and the viral tweet that sparked “Dire Wolf Day.” From George R.R. Martin holding a genetically resurrected pup to speculation about military mammoths and Jurassic Park parallels, things get weird fast. The Friends also wade into the fandom frustration over The Winds of Winter and defend authors’ rights to, well, do other stuff. We round out the episode with thoughts on Patrick Rothfuss, a nod to Mark Lawrence’s latest projects, and a grateful look at your YouTube comments—coin flips, interruptions, and all.

Note from Charles: Audio is a bit rough from 2:06-5:20, sorry about that! Thank you for listening!

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendstalkingfantasy