Is This Just Fantasy?

Episodes

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  The Well of Ascension 10.09.2026 1h 39m

  After a brief break, Duncan and Geordie are back to continue their journey into deciding that this Sanderson guy is actually pretty good at writing books. Huh? The Well of Ascension carries on the plot begun in Mistborn: The Final Empire, plunging it from the world of revolution into one of politics, siegecraft, and eerie supernatural forces.Its full of badass action - sometimes a little too badass, which is a wild complaint but here we are - intrigue, and some genuinely great twists. Duncan is astonished to discover a tertiary antagonist that he literally forgot existed, and Geordie tries to figure out,,, like, what exactly are Brandon Sanderson's beliefs?Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]:Intro and Outro Music: Fantasy Exploration Music | Chapter’s EndMusic provided by Dungeon Playlist - Emma Young and Jonathan YoungListen on YouTubeListen on other platforms
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  Malazan: Gardens of the Moon 12.08.2026 1h 31m

  Geordie has been banished to Spain for being mean to Steven Erikson. Whilst Duncan defends one of the most seminal, if controversial, modern additions to epic fantasy: 'Gardens of the Moon' the first book in Malazan: Book of the Fallen.Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]:Intro and Outro Music: Fantasy Exploration Music | Chapter’s EndMusic provided by Dungeon Playlist - Emma Young and Jonathan YoungListen on YouTubeListen on other platforms
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  The Odyssey - (Emily Wilson) 30.07.2026 1h 42m

  For this year's annual Troy book (only slightly too late for the release of Christopher Nolan's adaptation) the fellas get together to read The Odyssey, as translated by Emily Wilson, a woman who hates Nolan's film more than Duncan hates 'The Sheepfarmer's Daughter,' or more than Geordie hates admitting that he actually likes Brandon Sanderson now.Tune in to find out if Wilson's plain, accessible and socially conscious version is right for you, to to hear Duncan explain why you should listen to Doctor Who as a radio-play, Geordie teaches the best method for blinding Cyclopes, and Duncan delivers a dramatic reading of his favourite.... naked fight scene?Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]:Intro and Outro Music: Fantasy Exploration Music | Chapter’s EndMusic provided by Dungeon Playlist - Emma Young and Jonathan YoungListen on YouTubeListen on other platforms
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  Arthur High King of Britain 16.07.2026 1h 28m

  Finally Duncan gets to tell the story of King Arthur and his knights in the way he remembers it, in a classic, mostly faithful retelling by beloved children's author and horse terrorizer Michael Morpurgo. This time there's less bigotry and more lengthy explanations by Geordie about his favourite niche Arthurian myths.Tune in to learn the strange connection between Morgan le Fay, Charles the Great, Microsoft and the Master Chief, Duncan's confusion about the inclusion of a magic dog, a heated debated about whether Lancelot is based or not, and the potential of a real historical King Arthur (its not who you think.)Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]:Intro and Outro Music: Fantasy Exploration Music | Chapter’s EndMusic provided by Dungeon Playlist - Emma Young and Jonathan YoungListen on YouTubeListen on other platforms
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  Ranking our Top 100 Books! 01.07.2026 1h 34m

  Pop the champagne, its time for the long awaited Top 100 Is This Just Fantasy Top 100 ranking spectacular, where Geordie and Duncan revisit and review all 100 novels they've read over the past four years, and finally determine the definitive greatest fantasy novel of all time.Some times the conversation is fraught. There are expected divisions - one day Geordie hopes he can forgive Duncan for his placement of the Muse of Nightmares, just as Duncan hopes he will eventually forget just where he placed Duncan's #1 book of the podcast.Tune in to hear the Is This Just Fantasy's definitive, scientific ranking, and how they finally do what they weren't brave enough to complete during their Top 50: actually choose the podcast's #1 book ever.Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]:Intro and Outro Music: Fantasy Exploration Music | Chapter’s End Music provided by Dungeon Playlist - Emma Young and Jonathan YoungListen on YouTubeListen on other platforms
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  Peter Pan 10.06.2026 1h 34m

  To celebrate their 100th(ish) book covered on the podcast, Geordie has selected one of the all time greats. A story which defines fantasy in many ways: Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie.Listen as Duncan and Geordie make a bet, Duncan explains his radical Moorcockian theories of the Hook-Pan cycle, Geordie explains how a book-on-tape changed his relationship with music, and they both try to figure out whether Mr. Darling is a genuine weirdo.Not one to be missed! And a ideal capstone to 100 books. Tune in next time for the much awaited Top 100 Rankings.Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]:Song: Tunetank - Clair De Lune (No Copyright Music)Music provided by Tunetank.Free Download: https://bit.ly/3PUMAnUListen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/46nxy15Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?Clips taken from:Hook (1991)Peter Pan (2003)Peter Pan Goes Wrong (TV Movie 2016)
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  The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms 25.05.2026 1h 23m

  This time the fellas embark on a contraversial journey as they reckon with one of the most acclaimed modern Sci-Fi and Fantasy novelists, N.K. Jemison, but not about how seminal work: The Broken Earth trilogy. Instead they take a look at her debut and examine where she first showed promise, and in fact first dabbled in themes she would go on to examine again in the Fifth Season.Does she start her career strong? Did they make a mistake in choosing to look at this book instead of her later works? And just how sexy is this book supposed to be?Tune in to hear Geordie cover Jemison's unapologetic love of allegory, Duncan point out an incredibly obvious one he somehow missed, Duncan discussing the book's bizzare political system, and to not hear Geordie's 15-minute lecture on the origins of the Bible, which Duncan thankfully made him edit down to about 3.If you want to thank Duncan for his editorial oversight, follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or try our email: [email protected]
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  Legendborn 05.05.2026 1h 48m

  As their 100-book special looms ever closer, Geordie takes them back to a book which he meant to bring on the podcast about five years ago, a book which some weirdly personal connections. Its like if the Shadowhunter books were really good! And about King Arthur! And set at Geordie's Alma Mater! Precision engineered to appeal to him. And it turns out that Duncan really doesn't like it...Join in on a challenging discussion as both hosts reckon with the good, the bad, argue over where it butts heads with Arthurian canon, and try to weigh when personal experience completely trumps a book's best qualities.If nothing else, Geordie gets very excited to explain Arthur lore, the etymology behind Excalibur, and how much he hates the town of Clayton, Georgia. This one is for the nerds.Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]
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  Throne of Glass 23.04.2026 1h 5m

  After enduring some completely preventable recording issues, Duncan and Geordie are back, counting down the last couple of books before their 100th! This time they are joined by Bookstagrammer Kellie Greene (@theportsmouth_pageturner) to return to the world of sexy fae with Sarah J. Maas' debut, Throne of Glass.As Duncan discovers just how badass and beautiful and well-read and good at piano our hero, Celeana Sardoffian is, Geordie recounts his own experience of the series, and Kellie expounds on why she loves the series so much. And, because no authentic discussion of Throne of Glass can be had without discussing the massive twist, in a first for the podcast, Duncan is kicked out to protect him from spoilers.Is Duncan #TeamChaol? Why does Geordie hate Rowan so much? And will Kellie and Duncan finally force him to read the Chaol's spin-off book? Find out now!Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]
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  The Lies of Locke Lamora 06.04.2026 1h 29m

  This episode Duncan and Geordie take a look a darling of the type of nerds who, if you say your favourite books are Harry Potter, Fourth Wing, and Ice Breaker, will tell you to read The Balde Itself - The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.Duncan takes Geordie through the Gentlemen Bastards series' surprising publication history, and Geordie slightly overestimates how many The Usual Suspects style twists he expected from the book - it has 'LIES' right there in the title!Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]
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  From Blood and Ash 15.03.2026 1h 13m

  Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if Edward Cullen wasn't Mormon, or Xaden Riarson didn't have #believewomen in his Tinder profile? Then this is the episode for you, as Duncan and Geordie cover From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout.They discuss a parade of bizarre and lazy worldbuilding, dangling plot threads, unusually basic wording errors, and possibly the shadiest love-story they've covered on the podcast so far (and that's saying something). Duncan found it so dry that he forgot the book existed until shortly before recording, and Geordie struggles with the fact he used to like it!Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]
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  Mistborn: The Final Empire 27.02.2026 1h 40m

  A divisive episode. Duncan declares victory as Geordie is forced to hand in his membership to the 'pretencious nerd who doesn't like Brandon Sanderson books' club, because this one is a corker.They cover Mistborn: The Final Empire, covering its excellent twists and implemenation of magic, its surprising themematic coherence and nuance, and Geordie has no choice to admit that this time, maybe worldbuilding is important to making a fantasy novel work. Its not all glaze though, they cover their complaints about the book's depiction of women, and the weird age gap between the love interests.Has this turned Geordie around on Sanderson? And how long will Duncan be smug about it?Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]
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  Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World 16.02.2026 1h 27m

  At long last, the fellas cover one of the big daddies of epic fantasy. For Duncan its a return to an old-favourite, whilst Geordie experiences it for the first time. They discuss the start of Robert Jordan's saga: 'The Eye of the World.'Geordie wrestles with explaining how a book can be boring 'but in a good way,' whilst Duncan keeps forgetting how much of what he thinks happens in this book, won't happen till books 2-4, and how many of his favourite characters still kinda suck. Geordie challenges the book's attempts at depiciting a matriarchal system, whilst Duncan struggles with how to keep telling Geordie that most of his complaints will be solved if he Just. Keeps. Reading. The. Books!Apologies to fans of Nynaeve for butchering her name all episode. (How is it pronounced Nah-Neeve?!)Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]
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  Legend of the Condor Heroes: A Hero Born 23.01.2026 1h 24m

  Consumer warning: this episode contains no Condors. But it does contain an in-depth review of one of the most influencial yet unknown books the fellas have covered on the podcast, the first part of Jin Yong's Legend of the Condor Heroes - "the Chinese Lord of the Rings."They cover the unbelievable Kung Fu action, the surprising blend of fantasy and real history, and the best plot twist they've encounter on the podcast yet. Duncan tries very hard to pronounce names correctly this time, whilst Geordie spends too much time on dubious "translate your name into Chinese" websites instead of actually releasing the episode on time.Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via [email protected]
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  A Look Back at 2025: Our Best and Worst Books of the Year 31.12.2025 1h 2m

  Ah, 2025. An impossibly long and packed year which just flew by. In their annual tradition, Duncan and Geordie take a look back at a year full of ambitious pulls, many surprises, and a couple of truly dire low-points (in terms of books, the podcast is obviously better than ever)!They take a look at everything they've reviewed to select their Most Surprising, Most Disapointing, Favourite, Worst, and of course their Best book of the year. Will they be in agreement, or is their time for one last heated debate before the ball drops?
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  Krampus: The Yule Lord 25.12.2025 1h 28m

  Merry Christmas and Good Yule! You must've been good this year because Santa Claus is delivering you the annual Is This Just Fantasy Christmas episode (and if you haven't, lock your doors. Krampus is coming.) This year the fellas cover Krampus: The Yule Lord by writer/artist Brom.This episode: Geordie admits he's running out of Christmas episode ideas and has a little rant about depictions of valkyries, Duncan is horrified by Germanic Christmas traditions, and they both struggle not to call Santa "Father Christmas." Find out what they make of the high-highs and the boring low-lows of this dark retelling of Santa Claus-meets-American Gods-meets-Justified-meets-Jingle All the Way, the classic formula!Look forward to next episode where they review all the books they've covered in 2025 and announce the beginning to 2026.
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  Bonus: Which Fantasy Badass Can Help Us Survive a Horror Movie? 12.12.2025 1h 38m

  Don't ask: 'who's the biggest badass in fantasy?' Only fools ask that question. The real question is: 'how do you measure badassitude?' For years, nobody could answer this enigma. But finally, after months of tireless study and experimentation, Geordie has found it: an empiral, scientific system where we throw a list of the best fantasy heroes we've encountered on the podcast into a gauntlet of horror movies with the sole mission of protecting us.This episode we ask the important questions like: which horror movie monsters can be defeated by a rabbit? Which fantasy heores would beat Shaggy from the live-action Scooby-Doo films or escape a Saw trap? Which heroes would chop their foot? Could the Overlook Hotel defeat Goku? And would Obi-Wan Kenobi be able to save Christmas? Find out now!
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  Empire of the Dawn 29.11.2025 1h 32m

  Its over at last. One of the most anticipated conclusions in history of the podcast. The fellas read and review Empire of the Dawn, the conclusion of Jay Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire trilogy. There's so much to discuss as they cover: the controversial change in illustrators, the exciting action, and a potentially devisive ending. Does the series stick the landing?Duncan marvels that any book could beat out Fourth Wing for horniness, Geordie wonders just how many Elric of Melnibone references can be latched onto one character, Duncan becomes convinced that one of the main character's nickname is "Lackey" in an extremely mean-spirited joke, and Geordie fights for his life to stop this from being the longest episode by far - which means that Duncan and Geordie's debate over whether Wicked sucks or not will have to wait for another time.
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  Fourth Wing 21.11.2025 1h 34m

  At long last. The fellas set out to explore the hottest title in the world of fantasy right now. Their most anticipated read since their Top 50 Books review, their most Dragon Riders of Perny book since Dragonriders of Pern, and their horniest by far since The Eye of Argon.They cover: the steamy romance, the exciting pace, and just how unbelievably super special the heroine is, in one their nitpickiest episodes yet. They do not cover that this book is a real knock-off of Jennifer Armentrout's From Blood and Ash, so Geordie is making sure it gets included here.Nothing could say it plainer: its a garbage book for garbage people. And Geordie and Duncan are total garbage.
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  Thirteen Storeys 31.10.2025 1h 36m

  The fellas wrap up their spooky month with the last halloween special, washing the taste of the Woman in Black out of their brains with an amazing collection of ghost stories, written by the creator of The Magnus Archives: Jonathan Sims. They reflect on the impressive change in mediums, as well as its somewhat heavy handed (yet nonetheless true) themes on capitalism, the environment and killing billionaires with steak knives.Hear about their favourite stories in the anthology. For Geordie, its a tech-bro being menaced by a haunted Hal-9000, and for Duncan, a shame filled executive trying to purge the rot from within himself and his home. You might think that this is some Freudian insight into Duncan's psyche, but I think its just because he had a radiator leak recently.