Escapists Anonymous

EXPLORE

Society & Culture

© 2024 PodJoint

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/b3/c2/00/b3c20077-5cd8-513c-1111-e3a935d17a5b/mza_2794235616745036753.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Escapists Anonymous

Escapists Anonymous

46 episodes

6 days ago

Sam and Dan review the Dissolution by Nicholas Binge. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading these books before listening. In this episode, Dan and Sam dive into the sci-fi techno thriller, Dissolution, by Nicholas Binge. They discuss the characters, the presentation of the relationships, the somewhat shallow and convenient introduction of both technology and magic, and some issues with the writing. Prepare for strong opinions! Join in the conversation ...

Show more...

All content for Escapists Anonymous is the property of Escapists Anonymous and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Sam and Dan review the Dissolution by Nicholas Binge. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading these books before listening. In this episode, Dan and Sam dive into the sci-fi techno thriller, Dissolution, by Nicholas Binge. They discuss the characters, the presentation of the relationships, the somewhat shallow and convenient introduction of both technology and magic, and some issues with the writing. Prepare for strong opinions! Join in the conversation ...

Show more...

Episodes (20/46)

Escapists Anonymous

#44 End of Year Awards 2025

In this episode, Dan and Sam host the second annual Escapists Anonymous End of Year Awards for 2025. They reflect on the books they've read throughout the year, discussing categories such as Best Character, Best World Building, Biggest Flop, Biggest Surprise, and Best Book. They share their personal favourites and disappointments, highlighting standout moments and characters from various books. The episode also includes a look ahead to 2026, with goals and ideas for the upcoming year, includi...

1 week ago

1 hour 15 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#43 Rivers of London & Moon Over Soho - Double Review

Sam and Dan review the first two instalments of Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London Series. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading these books before listening. In this episode, Dan and Sam dive into the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, discussing the first two books: 'Rivers of London' and 'Moon Over Soho'. They explore the unique blend of magic and police procedural elements, the vivid depiction of London, and the character development, part...

3 weeks ago

47 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#42 Alchemised - Our First Ever DNF

Sam and Dan share their thoughts on Alchemised by SenLinYu. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. In this episode, Dan and Sam discuss their experience with 'Alchemised' by SenLinYu, which they both decided not to finish. They explore the reasons behind their decision, including the book's pacing, character development, and the challenges of adapting fan fiction into a novel. The conversation also touches on the broader impl...

1 month ago

29 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#41 Lady Macbeth - Full Review

Sam and Dan review Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. In this episode, Sam and Dan delve into Ava Reid's reimagining of Lady Macbeth, exploring the cultural impact and reinterpretation of Shakespeare's iconic character. They discuss the themes of power, femininity, and survival, as well as the book's fantasy elements, including dragons and magic. The conversation also touches on the portrayal of ...

1 month ago

46 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#40 The Knight and the Moth - Full Review

am and Dan review The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. We dive into the world of 'The Night and the Moth' by Rachel Gillig, exploring its themes, characters, and the genre of romantasy. We discuss the book's pacing, the portrayal of romance, and the unique setting of the Stonewater Kingdom. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of the book's themes, including soc...

2 months ago

47 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#39 Katabasis - Full Review

Sam and Dan review Katabasis by R.F. Kuang. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. Dan and Sam discuss the new fantasy release 'Katabasis' by R.F. Kuang. They delve into the book's themes, characters, and the unique setting of an academic journey through hell. The conversation explores the challenges of PhD life, the dynamics between the main characters Alice and Peter, and the book's reception in the fantasy community. Join ...

2 months ago

54 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#38 Mistborn - Full Review

Dan challenged Sam to read one of his favourite books, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, and now we get to find out what he thought. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. We dive into the intricate world of Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn." In this episode, they explore the unique magic systems, character arcs, and the rich world-building that makes this series a standout in modern fantasy. The allure of Sanderson's rules-based m...

3 months ago

53 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#37 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil - Full Review

Sam and Dan review Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. Join Sam and Dan as they dive into the intricate world of V.E. Schwab's latest novel, "Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil." This episode unravels the layers of vampire mythology, exploring themes of power, identity, and the human condition. From the unique mechanics of vampirism to the rich character arcs, Sam and Da...

3 months ago

53 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#36 Shroud - Full Review

Sam and Dan review Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. In this episode, Dan and Sam delve into the world of sci-fi with a discussion on Adrian Tchaikovsky's 2025 novel, Shroud. They explore the novel's themes of human experience through a sci-fi lens, focusing on the biology of alien life and the societal structures of humanity in space. The conversation touches on the book's portrayal of corp...

4 months ago

52 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#35 The Blacktongue Thief - Full Review

Sam and Dan review The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. We explore Christopher Buehlman's Dungeons and Dragons inspired world through this first-person retrospective epic adventure containing, thieves, assassins, giants and goblins. We deep dive into our narrator's character development, his perspective and wonderful use of humour. We talk about our favourite parts of the world...

4 months ago

46 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#34 Faithbreaker - Full Review

Sam and Dan review Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner, the final instalment in The Fallen Gods Trilogy. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. Having felt a bit let down by book 2 in this trilogy, Sunbringer, we are tempted back to Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner's amazing world-building and her enjoyable characters. We work our way through each character's conclusions and how we felt about the plot, relationships and character growth...

4 months ago

57 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#33 The Book That Held Her Heart - Full Review

Sam and Dan review The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence, the final instalment in The Library Trilogy. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. Having enjoyed the first two books in the series, we have high hopes for the finale. We discuss our feelings on some of the decisions Mark Lawrence made when landing the plane. We talk plot, characters, world, and themes, before coming onto how we felt about the trilogy as a who...

5 months ago

43 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#32 The Familiar - Full Review

Sam and Dan review The Familiar, by Leigh Bardugo. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. Leigh Bardugo is hugely successful in the Young Adult Fantast world, but how will her work in the adult fiction sphere hold up. We discuss the price of being a woman with ambition, and magical powers, in 16th century Spain during the inquisition. We debate whether this is more of a fantasy, historical fiction, or even romance novel. And ...

5 months ago

51 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#31 The Book of Doors - Full Review

Sam and Dan review The Book of Doors, by Gareth Brown. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. We've heard lots of good things about this 2024 release and so we're excited to review yet another fantasy book about books. We discuss some things we like, and several elements that we struggled with. Join in the conversation by following us on social media @EscapistsAnonymousPod.

6 months ago

52 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#30 The Devils - Full Review

Sam and Dan review The Devils, by Joe Abercrombie. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. We deep-dive into one of the year's hottest releases. The Devils, by Lord Grim-Dark himself, Joe Abercrombie. We compare this to Abercrombie's First Law world, before exploring this diverse cast of characters and perspectives. We evaluate the plot, which might be built for the big screen. And as always, we nit-pick at the things we didn'...

6 months ago

57 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#29 Pagans - Full Review

Sam and Dan review Pagans, by James Alistair Henry. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. We delve into this crime-thriller set in an alternative version of modern-day England, where 1066 never happened and Pagan religion and culture dominate. We struggle to figure out whether this is a fantasy book or an alternative history, before discussing the world-building, plot and characters. Join in the conversation by following us ...

7 months ago

44 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#28 The Book That Broke the World - Full Review

Sam and Dan review The Book That Broke the World, by Mark Lawrence: book 2 in the Library Trilogy. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. Having given the prestigious Escapists Anonymous 'Book of the Year 2024' award to The Book That Wouldn't Burn, there were high expectations for the sequel to deliver on this great promise. We delve into the introduction of new characters and new perspectives. We discuss the broad range of d...

7 months ago

56 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#27 The Discworld Episode: Pyramids & Guards Guard

Sam challenges Dan to read his first two Discworld novel, and in this episode, we discuss both Pyramids and Guards Guards and compare views. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading both books before listening. Pyramids and Guards Guards are books 7 and 8 in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. We discuss why Sam felt these were a good starting point for Dan to enter the world and how Dan found both books, before delving into conversations on Pratchett's w...

8 months ago

50 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#26 The Children of Gods and Fighting Men - Full Review

Sam and Dan review The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, by Shauna Lawless. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is the first novel in Shauna Lawless's Gael Song trilogy. We delve into our first historical fantasy. We explore the key themes, the historically accurate plot and how the history drives the plot, and our two main characters, one who experiences a journey of enlightenment an...

8 months ago

48 minutes

Escapists Anonymous

#25 The Great When by Alan Moore - Full Review

Sam and Dan review The Great When, by legendary writer, Alan Moore. SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers. We strongly recommend reading this book before listening. The Great When is the first novel in Alan Moore's planned series titled 'The London Quintet'. We get into the various plot strands that are introduced and tied off throughout. We discuss our main protagonist, Dennis Knuckleyard, along with some of the prominent side characters. And we discuss Alan Moore's incredibly abst...

9 months ago

57 minutes