The Legendarium

Craig, Ryan, Todd, and Megan discuss the two latest blockbusters, and one of those people even bothered to see both of them. Craig and Ryan have a "review-off" over Solo, and not to sound too click-baity, but the results may surprise you. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Welcome to the final installment of our Name of the Wind podcast series! Kyle is once again absent for this episode, so Craig, Ryan, and Kenn deal with the incredibly annoying technical issues themselves while they talk about Kvothe's adventures with Denna and the Draccus, the ending (or lack thereof) of the story, and the correct but archaic definition of corruption. Next up: The Wise Man's Fear! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Music: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

In 1944, Professor Tolkien published a short story about a strange little man who was obsessed with a single piece of art that consumed his entire life. Sound familiar? It should. And if it doesn't, then listen on, and we'll lift the extraordinarily thin veil from this little wishful allegory. Ryan's taking a sick day for this one, so Craig, Todd, and Megan hash this one out without him. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Is Kvothe a Mary Sue? Or maybe a Harry Potter? Why does Denna seem so hot? If Ambrose were a dessert, would it have marshmallows? It's chs. 36-66 of The Name of the Wind, so strap in for ... not much, since very little actually happens in this section. We're Kyle-less today, so Craig, Ryan, and Kenn sit down for an hour of NotW talk. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Spoilers ahoy! Craig, Kenn, Megan, and Todd discuss the biggest, baddest, latest offering of Marvel cinematic fare. We go for our normal hour, then we kept the mics running and did an extra 15 minutes for Patreon subscribers. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Spoilers ahoy! Craig, Kenn, Megan, and Todd discuss the biggest, baddest, latest offering of Marvel cinematic fare. We go for our normal hour, then we kept the mics running and did an extra 15 minutes for Patreon subscribers. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Welcome to the first(ish) of three episodes on The Name of the Wind, the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle, by Patrick Rothfuss. Craig, Ryan, Kyle, and Kenn get right into the heart of why people love Rothfuss: the prose. Even in just the first third of the book, there are plenty of writing samples to choose from as they discuss whether "proetry" is the good, right, or best approach in genre fiction. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Honestly, we debated even releasing this one. But it's probably just interesting enough to be worth listening to. The audio is terrible, and for a panel that enjoys digging into deeper themes and philosophy, we tended in this one to stay pretty surface-level. Craig (2nd readthrough), Ryan (2nd), Kyle, (2nd), and Kenn (1st time!) make their way through the first 35 chapters of The Name of the Wind, the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle. Enjoy, if you dare. We're going to try this again next week! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Two things right up front: We're sorry this isn't a Name of the Wind episode; we got our dates mixed up. Also, this is a pretty random episode. Please use the following time stamps to skip to where you want. 3:40 - Week in Review, Craig's drunken adventures, Disneyland 16:06 - Ready Player One discussion 47:35 - A Quiet Place 52:23 - Jessica Jones season 2 Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Spoilers, ahoy! The four of us, plus some guy named Kenn, dive into the weeds on Oathbringer, saying some of the things that were left unsaid after the last 3 episodes. There are far fewer tears, but to make up for it, there's ... well, no, apart from that, we've got nothing. But maybe you'll enjoy this episode anyway! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

We toyed with using the "explicit" tag on this one, just because of all the ass jokes around Puzzle the donkey. But we didn't. Craig, Ryan, Todd, and Kenn wrap up the Narnia series with The Last Battle, in which Lewis sends Narnia out with a bang. Hope you've enjoyed our, uh ... special treatment of Narnia, in a style only the Legendarium could ever hope to descend to. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Todd's out sick for this one, so Craig, Ryan, and Kenn tackle The Silver Chair, the sixth book in the Chronicles of Narnia. Actually, Todd is rather missed in this one, because the rest of us didn't really have that much to say. So if you're one of those fans who loves all the tangents and barely-relevant jokes, then this episode is for you. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

It's our third of thr--- wait, this just in: It looks like we're going to need a fourth episode to get through everything we want to cover in Oathbringer. Strap in for a doozy on this one, because while Oathbringer has been a fun ride up to now, part 5 is really where we start getting kicked repeatedly right in the feels, and Ryan and Todd both struggle to contain their emotions in this one. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Craig, Todd, and Kyle sit down for a roundup of everything they've been watching for the last few months. Topics include Black Panther, Star Trek: Discovery, Annihilation, Altered Carbon, Shannara season 2, and many more. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Let's try something new, shall we? In the book with the least storyish story we've ever read, we base our conversation around the progression of said story. The results were ... well, they weren't much different from what we're all used to: tangents, bad jokes, and juvenile asides, with a tad bit of actual conversation thrown in. Enjoy. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Craig, Todd, and Kenn discuss the fourth, or maybe second, book in the Chronicles of Narnia. Actually, they end up discussing a lot more than that, since these Narnia episodes have become even more tangential than normal Legendarium fare. Anyway, if that's your thing, then enjoy. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Craig, Ryan, Megan, and Todd dive into parts 3 & 4 of Brandon Sanderson's Oathbringer. We get into the lessons learned, the characters enjoyed, and the parts that made Ryan and Todd cry. We also announce a giveaway of one of the Legendarium's Advance Review Copies of Oathbringer. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

The guys take on The Horse and His Boy, the third book in our Narnia podcast series. Was Lewis super racist, or should we cut him some slack? What did he think about justice, mercy, and compassion? Was he trying to make a point about seeing beyond the boundaries of your narrow viewpoint, or are we just really stretching to fill an hour of audio on a very short children's book? Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

Watch out for lightning strikes, becuase Craig, Todd, Ryan, and Kenn are going to try to talk Christian allegory in this second episode of the Narnia series. We talk a little about differences between book and movie, the wisdom of giving liquor to young children, and why everyone needs to settle down about how distasteful they find Turkish Delight. Todd, Kenn, and Ryan compete in the end to see who can fit the most Sunday School lesson points into a single episode. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/, and "Turkish Delight" by Susanne Sundfør

Recorded in the unfinished studio space, so the sound may be a bit off! Craig, Ryan, Megan, and Todd get rolling on what may be the most anticipated episode of the Legendarium ever. This episode covers parts 1 & 2, so spoilers only up to that point. What worked? What didn't? What did we want more of? Anything we wanted less of? Enjoy the long-but-not-nearly-long-enough discussion! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

New series, new theme song ... same idiots. Craig, Ryan, Kenn, and Todd discuss The Magician's Nephew, book one of the Chronicles of Narnia. Yes, book one. For today anyway. Don't worry, we'll get into the whole reading order controversy, and do absolutely nothing to solve it. We'll also talk about the nature of children's stories, and what this one has to offer kids and adults alike. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/

It's our 31st Wheel of Time episode, which brings us to ... well, not the end of our Wheel of Time journey, but to an end. To anyone who has joined us during this readthrough, we're thrilled you've enjoyed it enough to stick with us through it all. Now go listen to the episode, you light-blinded idiots. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

IT IS FINISHED. With the exception of a wrap-up episode to come, this marks the end of our time with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. What a ride it's been, too. It's not hard to tell from listening that we're exhausted, as anyone should be after this many words, this many pages, this many characters, places, events, and emotions. Thanks for listening along with us!

Oh boy... For a podcast that already has a reputation for tangential discussions, we've really outdone ourselves this time. But how can you talk about The Last Jedi without discussing its implications for the entire Star Wars franchise, the Disney corporation, and all of Western civilization? It can't be done. Certainly not by us. But enjoy as Craig, Ryan, Todd, and Kenn do their best to talk about the movie that everyone is talking about. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

There may be no beginnings or endings, but this is a beginning of an ending, so that will have to do. This is part 1 of 2 in our discussion of A Memory of Light, the final book in the Wheel of Time. Craig, Kyle, Ryan, and Kenn discuss the ins and outs of the Last Battle, but reserve for part 2 any discussion of the Rand/Dark One finale.

The Wheel of Time may have no beginnings or endings, but we're coming awfully close to an ending. This is part two of our discussion on the second-to-last Wheel of Time book, and things are starting to get intense. Craig, Ryan, Kyle, and Kenn discuss Rand's part in this book, and get to many more Reddit questions as well. Support the show on Patreon Support the studio on GoFundMe Join the conversation on Reddit

Craig, Ryan, Todd, and special guest Vilja Johnson pick apart the new Justice League movie. (Of course, "new" is a relative term. It's been out for about two weeks, so we're way behind in the pop culture game. Oh well.) What worked, what didn't? Craig is the unlikely, lone voice in defending Zack Snyder ... at least a little bit. He's also the only one to have seen The Punisher on Netflix, which is discussed for a few minutes at the end. Support the show on Patreon Support the studio on GoFundMe Join the conversation on Reddit

The crew sits down for a discussion of the penultimate book in the Wheel of Time series, Towers of Midnight. Although there's a lot of what feels like time-wasting with the trial, Perrin still manages to finally come into his own in this book, and even Craig reacts with approval. More connections to Scandinavian myths, and to Kenn that's apparently a bad thing. Craig's long-time love of Nynaeve fully pays off. Support the show on Patreon Support the studio on GoFundMe Join the conversation on Reddit

In today's Oathbringer podcast we attempt the improbable: We review the latest Sanderson book without getting into spoilers. Craig and Ryan get back to their mano-a-mano roots and do this episode with no one but themselves. They discuss the good and bad of Oathbringer, and also give some tips on how best to read it, including the best music to accompany your readthrough. Support the show on Patreon Support the studio on GoFundMe Join the conversation on Reddit

Craig, Ryan, and Kyle are joined by Adam Palcher of A Damn Movie Podcast to discuss Thor: Ragnarok and Stranger Things 2. Where does Cate Blanchett rank vis-a-vis Thanos? (According to Craig, she ranks above anyone.) Who has the lamest cameo of all time? Who's the better secondary character, Steve or Bob? With names as exciting as those, how could you not pick both? Check out A Damn Movie Podcast Support the Legendarium on Patreon Support the new studio on GoFundMe Join the conversation on Reddit

This is a different kind of episode, so be prepared! Craig, Todd, Kyle, and Kenn basically just hang out for an hour and rank stuff. What kind of stuff? Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, non-combat Zelda items, fast food restaurants ... pretty much anything. Enjoy! Support the show on Patreon Supoort the new studio on GoFundMe Join the conversation on Reddit

Call it the Egwene episode. Craig, Kyle, Ryan, and Kenn discuss The Gathering Storm again, getting to what we didn't get to in the last episode. Egwene is the CEO of Randland. Verin has quite the secret. And was Hinderstap a necessary stop in the story? It was a good trip into the first of the Sandersion WoT trio. Support the podcast on Patreon Support the studio on GoFundMe Join the conversation on Reddit

The Wonder Boys get together and discuss The Gathering Storm, Brandon Sanderson's first of three Wheel of Time books. This discussion mostly revolves around Rand and those around him. We cover why Cadsuane is worthless, why Tam Al'Thor is a great father figure, and why "love conquers all" isn't necessarily a worn-out theme in fiction. Support the show on Patreon Help us build a new studio Join the conversation on Reddit

Craig, Kyle, and Todd welcome guest panelist Daniel Swenson to discuss the Legendarium's "three levels" theory. This is a topic that has come up a lot on the podcast, and we haven't always done a great job of explaining what each level entails, or how they interact. Our hope is that (among other things) this will help you make some sense of our bizarre, tangential discussions, both past and future. Check out Daniel's podcast, Dungeon Crawlers Radio ... and his book, The Shadow above the Flames ... and his facebook and twitter handle, @DanielSwenson77 Support the new studio at GoFundMe Support the Legendarium on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

After 11 Wheel of Time novels, and 23 podcasts about them, we've come to the end of our Robert Jordan road. (Sort of. There's still plenty of WoT to get through.) We take a pause from talking about the books individually to talk about them as a whole, and especially about the guy who brought them to us. Craig, Ryan, Kenn, and Kyle go through their laundry list of favorite and least favorite aspects of Jordan as an author, rank him among fantasy writers, and indulge in a bit of RJ trivia time. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

It's the wrap-up of the Robert Jordan portion of our Wheel of Time series with part two of our Knife of Dreams discussion. Okay, it's not really the end. (We're planning an RJ retrospective episode before diving into the Sanderson-aided books.) Come along for one more RJ-book episode, and get really uncomfortable as we kick it off with a hypothetical discussion of taking the red rod ter'angreal with us into a Seattle hotel room. Yikes. Support the show on Patreon Joing the conversation on Reddit

This episode was different, and a lot of fun. This was a simulcast livestream and podcast. The episode originally aired on the YouTube channel TheBlueShifting, home of Letters from the Cosmere. This was a charity event, benefiting Open Books, a nonprofit that puts books into the hands of underprivileged kids. It's worth a donation, which you can give here. Craig, Ryan, Kenn, and Megan all discuss Sanderson's least-loved work, Sixth of the Dusk. Enjoy! Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

The guys tackle the final Robert Jordan-penned book in the Wheel of Time series. The book is a fine return to form for RJ, and that of course means that the podcast is ... as pointless as ever. The winner of the Crossroads of Twilight contest is announced. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

Because you don't have enough Game of Thrones commentary in your life, and because we haven't finished the next Wheel of Time book yet ... here you go! Craig, Ryan, Kyle, and new panelist Dan discuss the seventh season of the HBO phenomenon. What do they talk about? Meh, nothing terribly important. But they have fun doing it, and you might just have fun listening, too. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

It was always a gamble, and many of you wondered whether it was one we would take: making a full two episodes out of Crossroads of Twilight. Frankly, it was a lot easier than we thought, and we didn't want for things to say. Craig, Ryan, Kenn, and Kyle are able to fill more than an hour with the good and bad of book 10. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

We're finally here, at the crest of the hill. It's no secret that Crossroads of Twilight is considered the worst book in the Wheel of Time series, but we found that it wasn't quite as bad as the hype led us to believe. Craig, Ryan, Kyle, and Kenn are still able to have a good discussion about the book, and to kick off the latest giveaway. Leave a review on iTunes Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

Craig, Ryan, and Todd sit down and discuss The Dark Tower (the movie, not the book) with Skyped-in guest Jon Negroni, host of the Cinemaholics podcast. It helped to bring in the big guns, because there was a lot to go over. Long story short: The Dark Tower wasn't a disaster, but it was nowhere near where it should have been. We spend an hour trying to figure out why. BUY JON'S NOVEL, KILLERJOY, ON AMAZON Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit Listen to the Cinemaholics

It's a packed house as all five regular panelists pack in to pay homage to Harry Potter on his birthday weekend. Spoilers may abound, but honestly, it's Harry Potter: if you don't know this story inside and out, then you probably aren't listening to the Legendarium anyway.

The guys continue their discussion of Winter's Heart, book 9 of the Wheel of Time series. This episode leans heavily on listener questions from Reddit, some of which even make sense. Support the show on Patreon Join the discussion on Reddit

The crew discusses Winter's Heart, book 9 of the Wheel of Time. Topics include polyamory, yonic imagery, and whether Rand is a "good guy" or just a protagonist. Ryan gifts Craig with his new favorite analogy for what it's like to read the Wheel of Time.

Sorry about the ramshackle state of our audio quality! The guys didn't have their regular setup, but they still had to get together and discuss the new Spiderman movie, which they all saw the night before taping this episode. If you can stand the poor sound quality...then enjoy!

Alright all you Todd fanatics out there ... Todd's back! He and Craig discuss Treason, by Orson Scott Card. It was OSC's second novel, originally published in 1979 and later updated to its current form. Although it's wildly different from most of the stuff we read, and although we had a lot of fun tearing it to pieces, we both enjoyed it quite a bit and recommend it as a quick, interesting read. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit

Ryan is back, and we're ready to finish our discussion of The Path of Daggers, book 8 of the Wheel of Time. We do some of our usual complaining about a few things, but mostly we defend "the slump" and give Robert Jordan some props for how much level-three stuff he fit into one conversation between two side characters.

We're without Ryan on this one, and unfortunately it's noticeably less intelligent. Just don't tell him I typed that. But Craig, Kyle, and Kenn take on the first discussion of The Path of Daggers, book 8 in the Wheel of Time.

Craig and Ryan welcome new panelist Kayla to help them discuss the newest entry in the Legend of Zelda series: Breath of the Wild. The panel has a wide range of experience with both the game and the series as a whole, so we hope that makes for a good discussion of each. Enjoy!