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Welcome to A Novel Review, the book podcast where every week, Seamus reviews a different book. For 2025 Seamus is doing a ‘Book World Tour’ where every month he ‘travels’ through literature to another country. The rules are simple: Each month he reads two books – one male and one female and the author has…
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There is no hand holding for readers starting Gardens of the Moon – Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. A sink or swim fantasy novel that starts with a mage battle assaulting a floating continent. A rapidly expanding story, though which way is it expanding? Time will tell in this massive 10 book…
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In this episode, I dive into Assassin’s Quest, the final novel in Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy, sharing my thoughts on its tone and payoff. While the journey has moments of depth and beauty, the tonal structure didn’t land for me, and the ending felt like it missed the satisfying conclusion I expected, leaving the…
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On this episode of our book podcast, I explore Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, the Nobel Prize–winning author. Blending literary mystery, environmental themes, and dark humor, this discussion unpacks the novel’s eccentric narrator, animal rights philosophy, astrology and the haunting Polish landscape, trying to unravel why Tokarczuk’s unconventional…
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Enter the chaotic court of the Six Duchies with Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, where loyalty is lethal and magic always has a price. In this episode, I unpack Fitz’s disastrous diplomacy, as he navigates love against duty and one very inconvenient wolf bond. Expect political chaos, slow-burn heartbreak, and feelings sharper than a royal…
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Who gets to tell history? Just because we have a story doesn’t mean we have the truth. History is a woven tapestry of perspectives, one that grows richer and more honest the more voices we allow into it. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents a narrative where side characters exist largely to serve…
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Myths don’t break when they change…. they survive A while ago I made a short video on the paradox of oral composition, what it was and what it meant for how stories endure. I hadn’t thought about it much but the recent announcement of Lupita Nyong’o playing Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, made me…
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In this episode, I dive into Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb, exploring who FitzChivalry Farseer really is and whether he ever truly knows himself. From isolation and duty to identity and belonging, it is clear that Fitz uncertainty of himself allows others to take advantage and shape him as they see fit. Painting: Today I…
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Some stories don’t just trace characters arcs – they wrestle with human nature itself. In East of Eden, John Steinbeck explores the nature of good and evil, and the choices that define who we become. Set against the backdrop of the biblical story of Cain and Abel across generations, asking one powerful question: are we…
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In 2025 for the podcast, I wanted to try something different to bring meaning to the podcast. Having grown up in a typical Anglo household, my upbringing was surrounded by the normality of Western books. This is in no way a criticism of something that couldn’t be helped, especially because those books are colourful, wonderful…
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Curl up with a warm drink for a very Christmassy episode of the podcast! This festive season its books stories that spark reflection, and how reading can inspire us to show up more thoughtfully in society. As the year comes to a close, this time of year encourages empathy, responsibility, and active participation in our…
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