Romantasy Roundtable: Fantasy Romance Reviews

ACOTAR 6 IS HERE! A COURT OF SPLINTERED HARMONY — Chapters 1–12 | SHADOW DADDY NEEDS THERAPY | Romantasy Roundtable

THE BAT BOYS ARE BACK, BABY. AND APPARENTLY, EVERYONE IN PRYTHIAN NEEDS THERAPY, A COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP, AND MAYBE A NICE LONG NAP.

IT'S FINALLY HERE! Sarah J. Maas has brought us back to Prythian with A Court of Splintered Harmony (ACOTAR 6), and Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly are diving into Chapters 1–12, plus Azriel's infamous A Court of Silver Flames bonus chapter!

And OH BOY. We have THOUGHTS.

Welcome back to Rom...

THRESHING DAY — REBECCA YARROS | DRAGONS, SECRETS & EMOTIONAL DAMAGE?! | Romantasy Roundtable

WE'RE BACK AT BASGIATH, BABY. AND APPARENTLY, THE DRAGONS HAVE BEEN KEEPING SECRETS.

Rebecca Yarros has blessed us with Threshing Day, the newest addition to The Empyrean Series, and somehow a collection of short stories about bonding dragons has us questioning EVERYTHING we thought we knew about Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm.

In this episode of Romantasy Roundtable, Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly dive into ALL 13 stories from Threshing Day, exploring the characters we love, the dragons we missed, the secrets we ab...

THE RED STRING WALL IS UP, THE CONSPIRACY BOARD IS UNHINGED, AND WE HAVE QUESTIONS. SO. MANY. QUESTIONS.

Welcome back to Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are FINALLY back together, and we’re diving headfirst into our predictions for ACOTAR 6 and beyond. We’re talking A Court of Splintered Harmony, A Court of Forgotten Melody, and every wild theory our brains could possibly cook up before the books hit our hands.

Will the Maasverse finally collide in a BIG way, or are we getting Easter eggs and emotional damage from a safe distance? Is Elai...

ROMANTASY ROUNDTABLE: THE FIRST STONE — ARC REVIEW

We got our hands on an early ARC of The First Stone by Robert Biehn, and folks… WE HAVE THOUGHTS. And by thoughts, we mean Rick is giving this one FIVE STARS, Kim is handing out FOUR, and together we're landing at a very respectable 4.5 stars. Not bad for a debut fantasy novel!

Think Avatar meets Mistborn meets Star Wars, with a post-apocalyptic wasteland, elemental magic, dangerous government forces, missing memories, and two siblings who are just trying to survive. Oh, and there's an antagonist named Felix who migh...

ROMANTASY ROUNDTABLE: HOUSE OF FLAME AND SHADOW — CRESCENT CITY 3

We made it through 952 pages of House of Flame and Shadow… and somehow we're still standing.

Amanda is missing because she had the audacity to be getting married instead of finishing Crescent City 3, so Rick and Kim are left to tackle the entire Maasverse chaos on their own. And when we say chaos, we mean THE MAASVERSE HAS ARRIVED.

Bryce accidentally portals herself into Prythian, meets some VERY familiar faces, discovers that the Starborn legacy is considerably more comp...

CRESCENT CITY 2: HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH | CROISSANT 2, ELECTRIC BOOGALOO | Romantasy Roundtable

WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THE MULTIVERSE. And apparently the best way to explain 800+ pages of murder, rebellion, space vampires, magical batteries, morally questionable queens, mind-sex, and 15,000-year-old conspiracies is… THE JETSONS MEET THE FLINTSTONES.

In this episode of Romantasy Roundtable, Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly dive into Sarah J. Maas’s House of Sky and Breath, the second book in the Crescent City series. And yes, we have NOTES. So many notes. Enough notes to apparently fill 38,000 pages.

Episode Title: Crescent City Pt. 1: House of Earth and Blood! Hawaiian Pizza, Vacuum Cleaners, & Lehabah's Sacrifice!

Description:

Grab your Baja Blast and order a questionable Hawaiian pie from the corner store, Rose Buds, because we are officially entering Crescent City! With Amanda getting married in less than a week, the Romantasy Roundtable squad is pre-recording an epic three-part deep dive into Sarah J. Maas's most chaotic, divisive, and action-packed series to date. Rick, Amanda, and Kim are breaking down House of Earth and Blood from start to finish! From Rick's legendary pizza theory (ACOTAR is...

Episode Title: ACOTAR Book Rankings: ACOMAF Wins, Silver Flames Chaos & the Christmas Special!

Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! In this special ACOTAR episode, Rick, Amanda, and Kim rank all five books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series in anticipation of ACOTAR 6! From the gateway-to-romantasy magic of A Court of Thorns and Roses to the emotional chaos of A Court of Silver Flames, we're debating which book deserves the crown—and apparently using cover colors because nobody can remember the titles.

There are strong opinions, immediate disagreements, Star Wars references, soup, an...

THE KNAVE AND THE MOON — Chapters 16–30 | HOW DID IT END?! | Romantasy Roundtable

WE MADE IT TO THE END. And somehow we went from “haha funny gargoyle in a pink robe” to earthquakes, forest fires, royal coups, martyrdom, death, resurrection, and a gargoyle who might literally be becoming a storytelling god.

In this episode of Romantasy Roundtable, Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly finish Rachel Gillig’s The Knave and the Moon, the second book in the Stonewater Kingdom duology, covering Chapters 16 through 30. And yes… there are A LOT of feelings.

We’re talk...

Description:

Welcome back, Rose Buds! After conquering Kingdom of Ash and cleansing our palettes with Heartstopper, and ACOTAR reactions, the Romantasy Roundtable is officially kicking off spooky fantasy season with Rachel Gillig's brand-new release, The Knave on the Moon (Chapters 1 through 15)! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are back in the studio diving into the first half of the epic Stonewater Kingdom duology conclusion. But before we get to our favorite one-winged stone bat, we have got to tackle the critical news: Taco Bell bringing back the Choco Taco, Kim consuming an entire birthday chocolate cake in 48 hours, Rick...

Episode Title: End of Summer Reading Recap: ACOTAR, Crescent City, Kingdom of Ash & Romantasy Bingo!

Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are wrapping up the summer with an End of Summer Reading Recap! We’re looking back at what we read, what we loved, what made us rage, our biggest surprises, our worst reads, and what’s coming for Romantasy Fall 2026. And yes, there is an absolutely unreasonable amount of Sarah J. Maas discussion.

This summer was basically Rick’s Maasverse Summer. He reread ACOTAR, dove into Crescent City, revisited Throne...

Episode Title: ACOTAR Top 10 Characters: Cassian Supremacy, Tamlin Justice & the Miniature Pegasus!

Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are taking a break from chapter-by-chapter chaos to rank their Top 10 favorite characters from all five ACOTAR books! And naturally, this turns into Cassian supremacy, Rick's ongoing Tamlin apology tour, zero Elain representation, and a very serious debate about the miniature Pegasus. We revisit the characters who made us laugh, cry, rage, and rethink the entire series after rereading A Court of Thorns and Roses through A Court of Silver Flames.

From...

Episode Title: ACOTAR 6 & 7 REACTIONS: New Covers, Koschei, Stygian Spiders & What Was Broken Will Be Remade?!

Description: Sarah J. Maas really said, “Here, take TWO books,” and the Romantasy Roundtable immediately stopped its vacation plans to scream about it! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are back for an emergency ACOTAR bonus—sorry, FILLER—episode after SJM dropped the titles, covers, page counts, and blurbs for A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody!

ACOTAR 6 is 352 pages, ACOTAR 7 is a MASSIVE 896 pages, and we are officially entering the Valkyrie Cycle with movements one, two, and three...

Title: Heartstopper Volumes 1-6: Cozy Palette Cleansers, Wrestling Rants, & Queer Sons!

Description:

After 24 weeks of fantasy carnage in Throne of Glass, the Romantasy Roundtable squad needed a cozy, wholesome palette cleanser! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are back to yap about Alice Oseman’s beloved graphic novel series, Heartstopper (Volumes 1 through 6). But before diving into Nick and Charlie’s sweet romance, Rick opens the pod with a full-blown WWE SummerSlam rant thanks to an awesome email from listener Jamie Daws in Sydney! We talk Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens breaking his neck and comi...

Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Finale (Ch. 100-End): Saying Goodbye to All Our Friends!

Description:

Grab your tissues, Romantasy Roundtable family, because we have officially reached the end of Erilea! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are recapping the explosive, heart-wrenching finale of Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 100 through 121 plus the epilogue). It has been 24 weeks, 22 episodes, and 10,000 pages of pure magic, and we are emotionally ruined in the best way possible! Before diving into the war, we recap some iconic host yapping: Rick getting an Outin portable espresso machine sponsorship and trying cold foam, Samus...

Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Ch. 68-99: The Thirteen, Multiverse Freefalls, and "And So Lorcan Did"!

Description: Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are diving straight into the jaw-dropping second half of Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 68 through 99). Grab your tissues and lock your doors because this section broke our hearts, brought down fortresses, and sent us flying across the SJM multiverse!

Dorian Havilliard proves he is playing 4D chess by turning into a mouse, a crow, and a wyvern, severing Maeve's world-walking powers, and literally collapsing half...

Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash Ch. 35-67: Witch Queens, Water Vaporization, and Horrible Decisions!

Description:

Welcome back to the Romantasy Roundtable! Rick, Amanda, and Kim are diving straight into the second half of Part One in Kingdom of Ash (Chapters 35 through 67), and honey, the trauma is heavy, the soup is boiling, and nobody in Erilea knows how to make good decisions! Aelin is finally reunited with her Shadow Daddy Rowan, but her magic is on ice—or is it? From subterranean glow-worm cave dates and Lorcan swallowing his pride for jasmine Burvas blood, to...

Episode Title: Kingdom of Ash – Part 1 (The Beginning of the End, the Iron Coffin, and Aedion Needs to Sit Down Edition)

Description:

We are officially in the final book. Kim is recording from the Canary Islands sixty miles off the coast of Africa. Rick wore skirts to work for two years to protest a no-shorts policy and single-handedly got the rule changed — it turned out the rule had been quietly removed from the handbook in 2019 and nobody noticed. We have one hundred subscribers. Jamie sent several messages. Bartholomew is a Scottish Straight from a ba...

Episode Title: Throne of Glass Fan Casting Bonus – (The Hockey Team, the Heated Rivalry Cameos, and Anya Taylor-Joy Is Manon Edition)

Description:

We promised a Throne of Glass bonus episode last time and delivered a soccer podcast instead. This time we actually did it. Amanda made a Canva slideshow with animated covers and everything, Kim showed up with notes on her phone, and Rick showed up. Together they cast six main characters plus bonus picks, debated the merits of multiple hockey team members, accidentally cast half of Heated Rivalry, and had a very im...

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – FINALE (The Iron Coffin, the Life Bond, and Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius Edition)

Description:

We made it. The full crew is together in person, there are cocktails called Abraxos in Bloom, birthday cookies, ice cream incoming, and a cat named Bartholomew who wants absolutely nothing to do with any of us. This is the live midsummer finale recording of the Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn tandem read, and it goes places. Amanda has had half a glass of wine. Rick has ha...

Episode Title: Romantasy Round Pitch – The Soccer Bonus Episode Nobody Asked For (The Boots, the VAR, and the Lamine Yamal Edition)

Description:

Welcome to the episode that was supposed to be a Throne of Glass bonus episode and became a 30-minute soccer fever dream instead. Jamie Dawes gets a shoutout for their snake profile picture and their extremely correct assessment that France is going to be a problem. Amanda has been watching on Telemundo. Kim once coached half the current US men's national team when they were tiny babies at IMG Academy. Rick ma...

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 5 (Aedion's Pride Party & Maeve Is Queen of the Valg Edition)

Description:

The full crew is back, the Google Meet is titled Aedion's Pride Party in honor of Pride Month and Aedion casually confirming he likes both depending on his mood, and we have spent the first ten minutes exclusively discussing ice cream. Amanda's favorite is black raspberry from a tiny shop called Dribbles that refuses to ship to New York. Rick's is brown sugar cookie dough fudge brownie from Van Leeuwen. Kim's is...

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 4 (The Sea Dragon Was a Manatee & Canada Up Four Nothing Edition)

Description:

The full Romantasy Roundtable crew is back and Amanda has returned from wherever Jaylen Brunson and the Knicks parade took her — which apparently included a ceremony, a kid in a Manika shirt, and a therapist who confirmed that New York is simply a vibe right now. Rick made it to the parade, got blocked out of the barricade, watched some idiot try to drive through the crowd in a dress shir...

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 3 (The Knicks Won & Rick Learned the Rubik's Cube Edition)

Description:

The Romantasy Roundtable is running a two-person operation today — Amanda has been granted a day off to celebrate the New York Knicks' first championship in 32 years, leaving Rick and Kim to hold it down alone. Before a single chapter gets read, we get a full debrief on Rick's merch budget (undefined, possibly catastrophic), the saga of Rick spending three full workdays solving a Rubik's cube only to discover a student had twisted the...

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 2 (The Wiggle Your Big Toe & Inverted AeroPress Edition)

Description:

The Romantasy Roundtable is back, and this time it's Amanda carrying the entire episode on her back while Kim nurses her second spring cold in a month and Rick spends a meaningful portion of the runtime giving a live AeroPress tutorial on camera. (Three subscribers were lost. Rick does not feel responsible.) Between the coffee demo, a deep dive into the Jewish numerology hidden in the Tory library's architecture, fan-casting debates where Thor ap...

Episode Title: Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn Tandem Read – Part 1 (The Pufferfish & Princess Lesbian Edition)

Description: The Romanty Roundtable has officially entered the Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn tandem read era! We are kicking off this massive six-episode arc, but not before Rick (who is inexplicably broadcasting as a digital pufferfish) stages a hostile, passive-aggressive takeover of Kim’s chapter-summary duties. We also take a detour to debate the ultimate high fantasy question from our biggest fan Jamie: Game of Thrones or the Joken Roken Tolken universe?

Once we f...

Episode Title: Furybound – Chapters 41–End (The "Guys who can get it" Edition)

Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is closing out the epic, chaotic, action-packed conclusion of Furybound by Sable Sorenson! Amanda is recovering from a legendary bridal shower weekend in Brooklyn (shoutout to Laserwolf, Bar Camillo, and Randolph Beer for getting us properly skewered), while Kim is dealing with her high-anxiety cat Mort (who Jamie Daws is still convinced is an owl). We are diving headfirst into the final chapters of this book, which completely flips the script with side quests, ancient gods, and a massive body...

Episode Title: Furybound – Chapters 21–40 (The "Respectable Girth & Rock Soup" Edition)

Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is back (and surviving the European Plague) to dissect chapters 21–40 of Furybound by Sable Sorenson! Amanda, Kim, and Rick are navigating the jaw-dropping geopolitical whiplash of Astreiona and losing their minds over the absolute chaos of Meryn's ruthless queen era. We're talking shocking family reunions (surprise, Dad is a Siphon!), the lush and hospitalled reality of the vampire capital, and the truth behind King Lucian's petty family feud with Alistair Brightbane. Plus, Amanda goes on a tangent about blood rent, Rick plays...

Episode Title: Fury Bound – Chapters 1–20 (The "Morally Gray Everyone" Edition)

Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is reunited (complete with a German cold and a very asthmatic cat named Mort) to dive into the highly anticipated sequel, Fury Bound by Sable Sorenson! Amanda, Kim, and Rick break down the first 20 chapters, which pick up seconds after the jaw-dropping Direbound finale. Meryn is grappling with her new crown, her cursed ruby bracelet, and the heartbreaking reality that her little sister Sailor is now a bloodthirsty Siphon. Between Killian’s unhinged telepathic propaganda, a massive arena riot, and Stark trying...

Episode Title: Direbound – Chapters 38–End (The "Bone Saw and One Bed" Edition)

Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is back from the past (and recovering from BookCon!) to officially wrap up Direbound by Sable Sorenson. Amanda, Kim, and Rick are screaming over this massive, plot-twisting finale. We unpack Meryn and Stark's agonizingly hot one bed inn stay, the bloody truth hidden beneath the castle, and the ultimate, gaslighting heel-turn of Prince Killian (who has officially earned the title of Worst Man, Derogatory). From feral interrogations with a bone saw to the jaw-dropping revelation of the true Stormfrost Quee...

Episode Title: Direbound – Chapters 19–37 (The "Panty-Melting Ghost Dogs" Edition)

Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is officially time-traveling this week (recording in the past, speaking from the future) to break down chapters 19 through 37 of Direbound by Sable Sorenson! Amanda, Kim, and Rick are unpacking a massive lore dump, brutal combat training, and some serious telepathic stonewalling between Meryn and her ancient silver wolf, Annasa. We discuss Prince Killian's descent from golden retriever messenger to possessive royal, Meryn's terrifying blood-soaked visions, and the jaw-dropping plot twist that forces Meryn into a leadership role she is completely unqualified for. Expe...

Episode Title: Direbound – Chapters 1–18 (The "Cybertruck-Sized Wolf" Edition!)

Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is trading glass castles for wolf dens as we dive into Direbound by Sable Sorensen! Amanda reveals her 22-year-old connection to the author, while Rick immediately declares this "Fourth Wing with Wolves" (and honestly, he’s not mad about it). We break down the first 18 chapters, following the scrappy "alleycat" Meryn Cooper from the fighting pits of the southern quarter to the luxurious (and suspicious) bonded city. Between the brutal mountain climbs, ancient wolves with attitude problems, and a "too-good-to-be-true" boyfriend who pulled a majo...

Episode Title: Queen of Shadows – Chapters 53–End (The "I'll Bleed Whatever Color You Tell Me To" Edition)

Description: The Romanty Roundtable is officially at capacity! Amanda, Kim, and Rick are closing out Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas, and the final chunk of this book is an absolute rollercoaster of Shadow Fire, shattered glass, and Ghost Leopard tummy aches. We unpack Aelin Galathinius and Rowan Whitethorn’s high-stakes rescue mission, Kaltain Rompier pulling off the ultimate girl-boss move by devouring her demon from the inside out, and the shocking revelation about the King of Adarlan's true puppet...

Episode Title: Queen of Shadows – Chapters 28–52 (The Blood Oath, the Brawls, and Aelin's Velvet Gown)

Description:

The Romantasy Roundtable is back, and Amanda is finally awake enough to process the chaos of Queen of Shadows chapters 28–52. Aelin and Rowan are officially reunited, which means the silent, telepathic flirting has reached critical mass, much to the annoyance of everyone else. Aedion throws a truly spectacular temper tantrum over Rowan’s blood oath, but quickly pivots to plotting how he’s going to personally execute Arobynn Hamel. Speaking of the King of Assassins, Arobynn tries to play 4D...

Episode Title: Queen of Shadows – Chapters 1–27 (The Rescue, the Reunion, and the Ruins of Aelin's Patience)

Description:

The Romantasy Roundtable is back, and Amanda is reporting live through the fog of a 17-hour flight and a 10-day trip to South Africa with 27 teenagers! The crew is breaking down the chaotic first third of Queen of Shadows, and we’re officially in the "everyone is playing 10D chess" era. We discuss Aelin’s return to Rift Hold, her tense game of cat-and-mouse with the toxic king of assassins, Arobynn Hamel, and her surprisingly bitter reunion...

Episode Title: Heir of Fire – Chapters 45–End (The Rebirth of a Queen and the End of Our Hearts)

Description:

The Romantasy Roundtable has reached the absolute fever dream that is the end of Heir of Fire, and we are collectively unwell. Amanda, Kim, and Rick break down the literal and figurative fire of these final chapters. We’ve got Aelin Ashryver Galathynius finally taking her own hand in the darkness, Rowan Whitethorn pledging an eternal blood oath, and Dorian Havilliard entering his Villain Origin Story after the most traumatic decapitation in Glass Castle histor...

Episode Title: Heir of Fire – Chapters 24–44 (The Spider Silk Heist and the Refrigerator’s Reality Check)

Description:

The Romantasy Roundtable is officially viral! While Rick celebrates 68k views on TikTok, Amanda and Kim are busy processing the absolute emotional wreckage of Heir of Fire chapters 24–44. We’re headed back to the Glass Castle to watch Dorian overhear some life-altering secrets in Elena's Tomb (hello, villain origin story?), while Chaol and Aedion play a dangerous game of "who can hide the most Wyrdkey intel."

Over in Wendlyn, Rowan and Selena transition...

Episode Title: Heir of Fire – Chapters 1–23 (The Hawk, the Witch, and the Scrappy Wyvern!)

Description: The Romantasy Roundtable is back and things are getting frosty—literally. Amanda, Kim, and Rick dive into the first third of Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, where our favorite assassin is currently rotting away in Wendlyn on a diet of oniony flatbread and pure depression. We meet the ultimate "grumpy refrigerator," Rowan Whitethorn, and finally get introduced to the bloodthirsty Manon Blackbeak. Back in Adarlan, Chaol is panicking over the arrival of the "General of the North," Aedion Ashryv...

Episode Title: Crown of Midnight Chapters 30 to End (The Head-Dropping, Portal-Hopping, Aelin-Revealing Grand Finale!)

Description:

The Romanty Roundtable is officially losing its collective mind. Amanda, Kim, and Rick have reached the explosive conclusion of Crown of Midnight, and let’s just say Sarah J. Maas didn't just break the glass—she shattered the whole damn castle. From the devastating fallout of Nehemia’s death to the most iconic head-on-a-desk moment in literary history, the crew breaks down the Feral Assassin arc in all its bloody glory. We’re talking Dorian’s divine power-up magic, Cha...

Special ARC Review – The Snow Queen's Heir (Shark Repellent, Snowstorms & DNF Debates)

The Romantasy Roundtable is braving a historic, two-foot Northeast blizzard (we blame you, Queen Lumi) to bring you a very special bonus episode! We are incredibly honored to review our first-ever ARC (Advanced Reader Copy): The Snow Queen's Heir by Keilah Jude. The crew discusses Noel and Lumi's quest for a magical, resurrection-granting necklace, the transition into the Naturei realm, and the inevitable deadly trials.

But the table is divided! Amanda explains why she handed out a DNF at 30%, wh...