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Can a workplace romance with a magical twist truly captivate your heart? Meet us on "Of Swords and Soulmates" as we talk about the buzz around Hannah Nicole Maehrer's "Assistant to the Villain." Fueled by social media hype, this charming tale blends humor, romance, and fantasy in a way that had us all hooked. We discuss our star ratings and how this book compares to our favorite films and TV shows.

We kick off the episode with some exciting news—Netflix is bringing Scott Westerfeld's YA dystopian novel "Uglies" to life, starring Joey King! We share our thoughts on this adaptation and reminisce about our personal connections to the book. But it’s not all rosy in the literary world; we touch on the recent Hugo Awards controversy, where deserving authors like Ziran Jay Zhao and RF Kuang were excluded. Thankfully, George RR Martin’s Alfie Awards stepped in to honor these overlooked talents, providing a heartwarming resolution to the issue.

Our deep dive into "Assistant to the Villain" is packed with laughter, insights, and debates on the romance dynamics within. We scrutinize the slow-burn relationship, the intriguing character motivations, and the effectiveness of the romantic tension. Comparing the book’s relationships to iconic pairings like Jim and Pam or Han and Leia, we explore the broader impact of romance in storytelling. We dip into a tangent on what makes a villain a villain, and who is the baddie? To wrap things up, we tease our next episode featuring a review of "Radiance" by Grace Draven. Make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms and check our website for more updates!

Links from the News Segment and Show:

• Uglies TV show drops September 13th on Netflix (link to show page)
  • Based on the YA dystopian series by Scott Westerfeld
• George R. R. Martin hosted the “Alfies” this year
  • Named after Alfred Bester, Martin hosts this when authors get snubbed.
  • Due to the controversy with the 2023 Hugo Awards, he invited Xiran Jay Zhao (author of Iron Widow) and RF Kuang (author of Babel)
  • The Hugo Awards have had past controversies, such as in 2013-2017, & 2021
• Paperback of Fourth Wing is coming out September 17th.
  • Link to Instagram post
  • Will include a new chapter from Xaden's POV
• Romantasy Book Convention (Orlando 2024)
  • https://www.fabledfantasyevents.com/
• This episode's book is Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
  • Goodreads

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