Best Alix Calfa Podcasts (2025)

1
Side Quest - Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, Part 2 – Chapter 19-28 2:35:00

1M ago2:35:00

2:35:00

The Queens finish their very first side quest by completing Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki! In the finale of this chaotic alien-demon-violin-donut-shop novel, your favourite Queens learn new facts about koi fish, converse about the technological limits of toad-faced demons, and discover what it means to be comfortable in one's own skin. Que…

1
Side Quest - Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, Part 1 – Chapter 1-18 2:06:31

2M ago2:06:31

2:06:31

The Queens embark on their very first side quest! In this episode, we're reading Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. We're also finding out everything we ever wanted to know about violins, devils, aliens, and donut shops in California. As we follow the twists and turns of this truly chaotic story, expect Queen Marissa to nerd out about violins,…

1
Side Quest: An Introduction to Side Quest Adventures 15:50

2M ago15:50

15:50

Your favourite Queens have a new project: Side Quests. Side Quests are small excursions from our main series and include standalone novels as well as duologies. In this episode, you'll learn all about our upcoming Side Quests, including how to participate and where to learn more! You can support our project by donating here. If you'd like to join o…

1
The Season Finale of the Wheel of Time || Final Theories, Q/A, and Rants 2:55:59

4M ago2:55:59

2:55:59

Another cycle of the Wheel of Time has come and gone and, like the Wheel of Time, we offer an ending. Listen along as your Queens of Fantasy wrap up all their very final thoughts on the whole series. Queen Marissa has one last feminist rant for you to enjoy, Queen Tay enjoys one final look over all her theories, and Queen Al enjoys talking about th…

1
The Wheel of Time Series Finale 1:52:11

5M ago1:52:11

1:52:11

Welcome to the Wheel of Time Series Finale! If you're here, you've listened or read along with us on this long journey and have finally reached the end. In this episode Queens Marissa and Tay go over their full series reviews and and full series character rankings, Queen Tay is exasperated by some unanswered questions, Queen Marissa provides some i…

1
Book Fourteen, Part Five: Chapter 38 to THE END OF THE SERIES | A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 4:11:29

5M ago4:11:29

4:11:29

The Wheel of Time turns, and so has the final page of this series for your Queens. In this episode, Queens Tay and Marissa finally become fully-fledged Aes Sedai as they read the last words in this epic fantasy series. Queen Marissa shares secret lore about the magical city of Toronto, Queen Tay refuses to believe that a character's death is a non-…

1
Book Fourteen, Part Four: Chapter 37 - The Last Battle | A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 6:05:45

5M ago6:05:45

6:05:45

The Last Battle has finally come! ⚔️ In a chapter containing 200+ pages, the Queens finally get to read the infamous chapter in Wheel of Time Lore. All three Queens rail against Gawyn's terrible decision-making, while Queen Marissa sits in suspense over her second favourite character. Queen Tay watches each character death with excitement, until on…

1
Book Fourteen, Part Three: Chapter 22 to the End of Chapter 36 | A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 3:56:52

6M ago3:56:52

3:56:52

The Last Battle is rapidly approaching, and our Queens are here for the build-up. As they barrel towards a battle to end them all, the Queens become increasingly concerned about the constantly shortening length of Nynaeve's hair. They debate whether or not they can take the Dark One seriously and Queen Tay wishes a different verb was used to descri…

1
Book Fourteen, Part Two: Chapter 9 to the End of Chapter 21 | A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 3:43:43

6M ago3:43:43

3:43:43

The Queens are rapidly approaching the end of The Wheel of Time – and, in this section, we can see the end barrelling at us. All three Queens aim their pitchforks at Gawyn, who is acting particularly silly in this segment. Queen Al attempts to hold her spoilers for the rest of the series, while Queen Tay tries to understand why our army generals ar…

1
Book Fourteen, Part One: Prologue to the End of Chapter 8 | A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 4:05:12

6M ago4:05:12

4:05:12

For the last time, the Queens begin a new Wheel of Time book. In this beginning of the end, the Queens rage over theories that should have been right, decide they don't love the legendary shower and might end up defending some female Forsaken. Queens Al and Marissa give us a biology lesson on twins, and Queen Tay cries over Caemlyn's horses and bri…

1
Who Would Win A Fictional Fight Between...? | Let the Fighting Begin! 1:04:42

6M ago1:04:42

1:04:42

Let the fighting begin! In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss, argue, and fight over who would win between fictional characters in fictional fights. From Dracula and Rhysand to Emma and Lizzie Bennet, this episode is throwing everything down and everyone with them! So, join us while we fight it out. As usual, the three readers start by reviewi…

1
Book Thirteen, Part Four: Chapter 48 to the End of the Novel | Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 4:37:43

6M ago4:37:43

4:37:43

The penultimate book is officially done, and your Queens are feeling a type of way about it. As Queens Marissa and Tay delve into their newest theories, Queen Al bites her tongue about all the things she wishes she could spoil. Queen Tay wonders at length about some of the newest enemies and monsters we come across, while Queen Marissa basks in the…

1
Book Thirteen, Part Three: Chapter 31 to the End of Chapter 47 | Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 4:34:24

7M ago4:34:24

4:34:24

Are you ready for all the action? Your Queens of Fantasy are back, and they're diving into part three of book 13. Queens Marissa and Tay argue over exactly how much dislike of Gawyn is appropriate, Queen Alix bites her tongue while trying not to accidentally spoil the ending that we're so close to, and each of the Queens is baffled by what counts a…

1
Bookish Confessions | Dust Jackets, Reading Challenges, DNF-ing, and More 1:12:57

7M ago1:12:57

1:12:57

It's time to share our deepest reader secrets. In this episode, Marissa and Megan are joined by Alix Calfa from the Queens of Fantasy podcast, to discuss all those things we usually keep to ourselves. We're talking about our bookish confessions, from dust jacket behaviour to reading challenges and even cheating on reading goals. Get ready to see us…

1
Book Thirteen, Part Two: Chapter 16 to End of Chapter 30 | Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 4:28:48

7M ago4:28:48

4:28:48

The Queens are at it again, this time reading part 2 of book 13. Queens Marissa and Tay argue over exactly how bad Gawyn is. Queen Al manages to hold her tongue, even as the other two get closer and closer to the end. Expect new Aes Sedai tests, old rivalries, a growing disdain for a certain Queen who cannot be stopped, a lingering question of wher…

1
Book Thirteen, Part One: Prologue to the End of Chapter 15 | Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 3:30:33

7M ago3:30:33

3:30:33

Twelve and a prequel down, two to go! The Queens embark on the thirteenth book of the Wheel of Time series, Towers of Midnight. The Queens argue about apples and excerpts from "The Dragon Reborn", Queen Tay insists that two particular characters should not be together while Queen Marissa insists that they will be, resulting in another bet for coffe…

1
Book Twelve, Part Four: Chapter 39 to the End of the Novel | The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 4:01:29

7M ago4:01:29

4:01:29

Thirteen books down, two to go. In this episode of the Queens of Fantasy podcast, the Queens finish off Book Twelve of the Wheel of Time, and they have a lot of thoughts. Marissa rants about Egwene's plot point and whether or not Gareth Bryne is perfect, perfect, perfect! Tay protects Egwene at all costs -- with all her feelings and no thoughts. Yo…

1
The Best Bookstores Worldwide | Portland, Edinburgh, Tokyo, and More 1:04:29

8M ago1:04:29

1:04:29

Besides that one overly comfortable chair in the corner, every reader's favourite place to be is a bookstore. In this episode, Marissa and Megan share the best bookstores they've explored. From local gems to international stars, these bookstores have one thing in common: they are well-loved and well-read. As usual, the two readers start by reviewin…

1
Book Twelve, Part Three: Chapter 28 to the End of Chapter 38 | The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 3:40:49

8M ago3:40:49

3:40:49

In the third part of our The Gathering Storm read, the Queens are stoked about a Nynaeve POV, concerned about Rand, confused by Mat and left on a cliffhanger. Queen Marissa throws out quite a few theories, Queen Tay needs consoling over how she really can't do spicy foods, Queen Alix teaches the other Queens a little something, and Tay and Marissa …

1
Book Twelve, Part Two: Chapter 13 to the End of Chapter 27 | The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 3:42:07

8M ago3:42:07

3:42:07

Get ready for action! The Queens take on part two of Book 12, The Gathering Storm, in Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson's) series, The Wheel of Time. We have betrayals, we have tedious tasks, we have punishments, and we have a wolf man not missing his wife. The Queens discuss Goldilocks and the Three Inns, Mat's misogynistic monologue, and Min's…

1
The History of Audiobooks | A Lesson From Megan 1:06:25

8M ago1:06:25

1:06:25

Ever heard of audiobooks? How much do you really know about them? In this episode, Megan explores everything audiobook. From the history of audiobooks to its formats, uses, and styles, join along as your two favourite readers explore the world of audiobooks! As usual, the two readers start by reviewing their most recent reads and finish by discussi…

1
Book Twelve, Part One: Prologue to the End of Chapter 12 | The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 3:28:22

8M ago3:28:22

3:28:22

Welcome to the beginning of the end! We're officially in the last three books of the series -- and we're excited, we're nervous, and we're going through it together! The Queens bring out the swords in this one, taking aim at bad character decisions and, in turn, each other as they defend their favourites until the end. Queen Marissa fights off the …

1
Book Eleven, Part Three: Chapter 27 to the End of the Novel | Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan 3:05:23

8M ago3:05:23

3:05:23

It's a trap! And another trap! Everyone gets a trap! Our characters walk into, spring and set up traps all around. The Queens question where exactly the path of daggers is, should you tell your husband who he's just killed and why someone is tasting Elayne's pee. Queen Marissa explains what an auger is, Queen Tay gets a lesson on the circle of life…

1
Literary Terms 101 With Marissa | Metaphor, Similes, Character Foils & More 1:05:42

8M ago1:05:42

1:05:42

It's time to go back to school! And, what better way to celebrate school than with a test? In this episode, Marissa and Megan review literary terms. Or rather, Marissa quizzes Megan on this terminology while putting her friendship at risk. From metaphor and simile to allusions and character foils, Marissa puts on her teaching hat to share the top l…

1
Book Eleven, Part Two: Chapter 13 to the End of Chapter 26 | Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan 3:11:44

9M ago3:11:44

3:11:44

It's a dragon, it's a twin in disguise, it's a new low for Perrin. It's the next episode of the Queens of Fantasy podcast. In this one, the Queens discuss whether or not you can touch an ear in public while also wondering whether Perrin or Elayne considered committing the bigger war crime. Queen Tay falls head over heels, yet again, for Mr. Loial a…

1
Banned Books: Which Ones We've Read And Our Thoughts | Elana K. Arnold, Judy Blume, J.D. Salinger, and More 1:04:52

9M ago1:04:52

1:04:52

Books are made to be read, not banned. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss banned books. From the most commonly banned novels to their favourite illicit reads, these two readers dive into why the books are banned and why they disagree. As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the j…

1
Book Eleven, Part One: Prologue to the End of Chapter 12 | Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan 4:29:05

9M ago4:29:05

4:29:05

In this episode of the Queens of Fantasy podcast, the Queens ask the important questions such as: is it a zebra? Who is that man on the 90's edition cover? And how hard is it to get some service around here? Queen Tay is nauseated over a potential romance, Queen Marissa has strong feelings over dragons, Queen Al holds her tongue against the temptat…

1
Books You've Been Avoiding On Your TBR (To-Be Read) Shelf | A Feather So Black, Wheel of Time & Many More 54:34

9M ago54:34

54:34

This one is dedicated to all the book stacks on all those book shelves just waiting to be read. In this episode, Marissa and Megan uncover their most shameful -- or most interesting -- books on their TBRs that they've been avoiding. From books they didn't even know they owned to books they've been waiting for the perfect moment to pick up, join the…

1
Prequel: The Whole Novel | New Spring by Robert Jordan 2:34:23

9M ago2:34:23

2:34:23

Let's see where this all began! The Queens join Morraine, Siuan, and Lan nearly twenty years before The Eye of the World takes place. Morraine and Siuan are baby Accepted students in the tower, and Lan is fighting the good fight everywhere he can. We follow as our two favourite Sedais learn about the Dragon's birth, gain the shawl, prank anyone and…

1
Book Ten, Part Two: Chapter 16 to the End of the Novel | Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan 3:53:57

10M ago3:53:57

3:53:57

Ten books down, only four (well, five) more to go! The Queens join the characters as they make good, bad, and terrible decisions. Queen Marissa argues that Egwene makes a terrible choice, while both Queens Alix and Tay worry over their favourite Amyrlin Seat. Every wonders why Perrin left a perfectly viable axe to rust in the forest, and the Queens…

1
Biggest Bookish Pet Peeves | A Feather So Black, Wheel of Time & Many More 57:14

10M ago57:14

57:14

All the things that make us cringe, gag, and recoil away from a book within an instant. From abhorrent stickers on book covers to the worst plot devices we've ever read, this week Megan and Marissa discuss their biggest book pet peeves. Marissa also shares an embarrassing reader faux pas she committed and Megan pretends she's very much over it. As …

1
Book Ten, Part One: Prologue to the End of Chapter 15 | Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan 2:54:53

10M ago2:54:53

2:54:53

Welcome to the tenth book of the Wheel of Time series! We check in with all our characters to see what they were up to during the final events of book nine. Characters get dressed, shoot down viable rescue stratagies and attempt to calculate the consequences of their actions. The Queens lament over the romance between characters that are not togeth…

1
Book Nine, Part Two: Chapter 20 to the End of the Novel | Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan 3:04:35

11M ago3:04:35

3:04:35

Another book down, only five (six with the prequel) to go! From wells of magic in a magic-free town to genius plans by our main characters being executed every other chapter, Queens Marissa, Tay, and Alix dive right into this novel. Queens Marissa and Tay decide to ride out a theory until it's impossible to hold on to. Queen Alix tries to direct wi…

1
Reading Challenges: Everything We Love & Everything We Don't | Crossroads of Twilight, Yellowface, Funny Story & More 45:35

11M ago45:35

45:35

Anybody up for a challenge? Reading challenges are popular across TikTok, StoryGraph, and pretty much anywhere you find readers. Megan and Marissa give their thoughts on reading challenges – which ones they love and which ones they can't quite get into. Megan compares reading challenges to playing the Sims and Marissa changes her opinion quickly as…

1
Book Nine, Part One: Prologue to the end of Chapter 19 | Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan 3:37:17

11M ago3:37:17

3:37:17

In this episode, some theories are made, others are proved wrong and discussions are had. Queen Marissa has something to say about the accuracies of the weather conditions, Queen Tay wants to know the others favourite flavour of ice cream and Queen Al is just so excited to see all her very favourite characters come together in a single storyline. T…

1
Let's Talk About BookTok 2.0 W/ Alix Calfa | Sarah J. Maas, Colleen Hoover, Robert Jordan, And More 1:03:32

11M ago1:03:32

1:03:32

Alix Calfa joins us for a surprise guest episode! Marissa and Alix discuss BookTok – and, in fact, all things about books online. The readers tackle discussing good recommendations and poor ones, as well as some of the more popular BookTok books and whether they are worth the read. As always, we start the podcast with some of our more recent reads.…

1
Book Eight, Part Two: Chapter 17 to the End of the Novel | The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan 3:57:47

11M ago3:57:47

3:57:47

Another book down! The Queens finish Book 8, The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan, and discover that the slog might be at least a little real. After debating the timeline, the Queens discuss everything from Elayne's judgemental POVs to exactly what fanfiction they want someone to write. Queen Alix rants over the start of her least favourite storyli…

1
Our Favourite – And Most Remarkable – Bookmarks | Bookmarks, Notation, Dog-Earring, And More 51:37

12M ago51:37

51:37

Do you use bookmarks? Marissa and Megan discuss the most remarkable bookmarks they've had over the years. From American one-dollar bills to a leather marker with a flower that seems one petal short, both readers talk about whether or not they use them, what will count as a bookmark, and whether dog-earring is ever an option. We start the podcast wi…

1
Book Eight, Part One: Prologue to the end of Chapter 16 | The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan 3:28:27

12M ago3:28:27

3:28:27

The Queens officially begin the slog, but with the power of friendship they are sure to make it through. From screaming to get through the Gateway, to screaming not to kiss her there, the Queens have a lot to talk about despite a slow moving plot. Queen Tay pulls out her map to make a theory, Queen Al tries to figure out what Alliandre did with her…

1
A Mid-Series Recap of Books One Through Seven of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan | Theories, Q/A's, and A Game 3:32:22

12M ago3:32:22

3:32:22

Gather round, young adventurers, for we have a story recap for you! We are officially (but not literally) halfway through the series – if we don't count the prequel. To celebrate, we're reviewing everything we've read so far in The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. From the first moments we stepped into Eamon's Field to the last moments we saw…

1
Top Tips to Getting Out of A Reading Slump | Book Clubs, Reading Challenges, DNF-ing & More 49:14

1y ago49:14

49:14

Slumps suck. Reading slumps extra suck. Every avid reader has been through one reading slump or another and, while sometimes they are inevitable, there are some ways to get through them without losing your mind. Marissa and Megan discuss their experiences with their own reading slumps, and all the top tips they have to prevent them. From reading ch…

1
Book Seven, Part Four: Chapter 34 to the End of the Novel | A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan 4:48:29

1y ago4:48:29

4:48:29

We'd like to emphasize our trigger warnings throughout book seven. To avoid rape and sexual assault discussions, please see the timestamps at the bottom of this description. Take care of yourselves, and we thank you for listening! Book seven is finally closed! But, before The Queens can put this baby on their shelves, we've gotta discuss the good, …

1
Our Top Villains In Literature | Dracula, President Snow, Sauron & More 46:23

1y ago46:23

46:23

Everybody loves a good villain. From the most sinister non-human entities to the humans we start to empathize with, we've got all the best baddies from books we've read. We start with a classic President Snow and end with an even more classic villain who will suck your blood, and we hit every bad guy in between. We start the podcast with our most-r…

1
Book Seven, Part Three: Chapter 25 to the End of Chapter 34 | A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan 3:07:42

1y ago3:07:42

3:07:42

We'd like to emphasize our trigger warnings throughout book seven, and particularly for this episode. Given the frequency of certain content throughout this book – rape and sexual assault, in particular – we are putting out a blanket warning for this episode. Please expect rape and sexual assault content throughout the whole podcast. The Queens hav…

1
Book Seven, Part Two: Chapter 11 to the End of Chapter 24 | A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan 3:15:39

1y ago3:15:39

3:15:39

The Queens begin the seventh book of the Wheel of Time series, A Crown of Swords. We'd like to emphasize our trigger warnings throughout book seven. Please see the trigger warnings below and keep yourself safe. Welcome back to Book 7. As Elayne falls in the Queens' eyes, we follow the crew as they braid each other's hair in the dark and negotiate a…

1
Our Favourite Autobiographies & Memoirs | Vivek Shraya, Jennette Mccurdy & More 49:05

1y ago49:05

49:05

From the rawest insight into people's lives to illuminating spotlights on important issues, biographies and memoirs can leave a long-lasting impact. In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss their favourite memoirs and autobiographies. Marissa discusses several dancer and a few artists' memoirs, while Megan talks about reading about therapy and de…

1
Book Seven, Part One: Prologue to the End of Chapter 10 | A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan 2:48:50

1y ago2:48:50

2:48:50

The Queens begin the seventh book of the Wheel of Time series, A Crown of Swords. We'd like to emphasize our trigger warnings throughout book seven. Please see trigger warnings below. In the aftermath on Dumai Wells, our friends return to find someone upon a throne that is not theirs. Meanwhile in Salidar, Egwene receives some blackmail. In this ep…

1
Book Six, Part Four: Chapter 45 to the End of the Novel | Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan 4:27:58

1y ago4:27:58

4:27:58

Let the Lord of Chaos reign – finally! The Queens wrap up the sixth book in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, Lord of Chaos. Along this adventure, we get a little serious discussing some more sensitive topics that are coming up. Please see the trigger warnings below. We start with Perrin and Faile marching into Camelyn to meet Faile's paren…

1
Poetry 101: Top Tips for Getting Into Poetry | Lang Leav, Shakespeare, Dickinson, Plath & More 1:00:18

1y ago1:00:18

1:00:18

Welcome to Poetry 101. Marissa is a big poetry buff, and this week we're discussing all our best tips for getting into poetry. Throughout this podcast, Marissa and Megan share their experiences with poems and poetry – and give you all the reasons why you shouldn't be scared of them, no matter what your high school English teacher made you feel. Fro…

1
Book Six, Part Three: Chapter 31 to the End of Chapter 44 | Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan 3:23:57

1y ago3:23:57

3:23:57

Guess what adventurers? We have a new Amyrlin Seat. The Queens continue along on their journey through the sixth book in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, Lord of Chaos. Along this adventure, we get a little serious discussing some more sensitive topics that are coming up. Please see the trigger warnings below. We also had some technical is…

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