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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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https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-bhuiu-1ad0e55 To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com The Goldilocks book: not too long, not too short – just enough time to leave a lasting punch. In this episode, I explore great books under 200 pages: compact stories packed with depth, emotion, and unforgettable ideas. Across a wide range of genres, these books…
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In I Who Have Never Known Men, Jacqueline Harpman turns isolation into existential suspense, following imprisoned women who know less about humanity than your average search algorithm. Part dystopian sci-fi, part feminist nightmare, this cult classic asks what survives when society disappears: language, memory, or simply the stubborn urge to keep asking questions. Perfect for…
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In this episode, I dive into All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. A haunting and deeply human portrayal of World War I through the eyes of young German soldier Paul Bäumer. This brutal anti-war novel explores the psychological toll of combat, the loss of innocence, and the brutal realities of life…
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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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