The Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

The dragons are back, the wards are wobbling, and Violet’s making choices that have us both cheering and groaning. This month Alex and James dive into The Iron Flame, complete with a spirited discussion of the infamous Blow Job scene (yes, that one). Somewhere along the way, Alex tells James dragons are real and—naturally—this devolves into full-blown role play of how he’d react. Spoiler: it’s hilarious.

We swing by our regular James Complains segment, where James passionately rants about how characters in movies (and books) just don’t stay dead anymore. He’s adamant — if you die, stay dead.

Meanwhile, James brings along the perfect themed alcoholic beverage, an “infumous blue teenage girl drink” that’s equal parts questionable and iconic. Between sipping that, moaning about Violet’s decisions, and laughing at her melodrama, we still manage to unpack the big twists, the wardstone revelations, and the ominous ending that left us yelling at our books.

Next month we’re back in the dungeon with Dungeon Crawler Carl – The Eye of the Bedlam Bride. Get ready for chaos, Carl, and probably Jaeger bombs.

Want to read along? Join the club with the links below and dive into a new wild read each month with Alex and James. Grab a drink and join the book club for the wonderfully weird.

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Dungeon Crawler Carl: The Butcher’s Masquerade – Matt Dinniman

Join Alex and James for this month’s gloriously unhinged Novel Liquors Book Club episode as they dive headfirst into the sixth floor of the Dungeon in The Butcher’s Masquerade. Expect murder, mantis babies, and… enthusiastic double gonorrhea (trust me, you dont want, enthusiastic double gonorrhea).

It’s also Novel Liquors’ 1-year anniversary, and the team celebrates with a Jägerbomb toast and deep emotional damage.

James—ever the chaos goblin—derails the show with an offhand comment about bestiality, while Alex nearly cries over a noble goat. It’s touching. It’s horrifying. It’s everything this series deserves.

Plus: their brand-new 60-second summary gives you all the bloody, glitter-filled highlights—fast.

Want to read along? Join the club with the links below and dive into a new wild read each month with Alex and James. Grab a drink (bonus points if it’s Jäger), and let the dungeon crawl commence!

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The Primal Hunter - Zogarth

Join Alex and James for this month’s Novel Liquors Book Club as they tear into Zogarth’s The Primal Hunter, a wild LitRPG survival story where Jake Thayne becomes a lethal solo hunter—spending half the book eating mushrooms (yes, really). They unpack Jake’s rise, his snake god mentor, and William, the Magneto-like mage stirring tribal wars.

James cranks up the fun by bringing his signature phallic-shaped alcohol bottles, keeping the drinks as wild as the story. Plus, catch their brand-new, razor-sharp 60-second summary—perfect for those wanting the lowdown fast.

Want to read along? Join the book club with the links below and dive into a new book with Alex and James every month. Grab your favorite drink (phallic-shaped or not) and let’s get this party started!

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Dungeon Crawler Carl - The Gate of the Feral Gods

This week, Alex and James dive headfirst into The Gate of the Feral Gods, where Carl’s antics get wilder, maybe dumber? The stakes get higher, and he challenges the entire galaxy!

James brings the party with the one, the only Dirty Shirley cocktail. It’s sweet, strong, and dangerously pink. Combine that with James talking about cockapoos and pegging, that got us all raising eyebrows.

Of course, he follows it up with a new round of James Complaints. Alex shows rare mercy by letting someone off the hook for their controversial dislike of dogs. James, however, isn’t buying it and may or may not be silently judging for the rest of the episode.As always, the drinks flowed, the complaints raged, and Carl bathed the cat—the cat won.

We ramble through Dirty Shirleys, Secret Asians, and shout out a few smarter, more focused DCC reviewers (you know who you are).

Until next time, keep your cocktails strong and your Constitution scores higher. Cheers from Novel Liquors!

Thank you, Crawlers!

July: The Primal Hunter - Zogarth

Alex and James are back and already six drinks deep for another Novel Liquors episode! This month, we’re diving face-first into the long-awaited, blood-soaked, chaos-fueled madness of The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook!

Fueled by Jaeger, beers, and an alarming number of "residual Pac-Men," your favorite barely-functional bookworms giggle, ramble, and occasionally manage to talk in-depth about the gloriously unhinged world of Dungeon Crawler Carl.

James surprises us with a mystery drink, which may or may not be responsible for the episode slowly derailing into a beautiful mess of laughter, questionable metaphors, and one particularly memorable moment involving James’s “floppy” equipment, but seriously, why would someone choose to be a mushroom?

Stick around for bonus outtakes, completely intentional innuendo, and enough absurdity to warrant a Constitution saving throw.

We hope you've been reading along with us. Join us next month for:

June: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 4 The Gate of The Feral Gods - Matt Dinniman

July: The Primal Hunter - Zogarth

In this episode of Novel Liquors, Alex and James log into the OASIS and strap in for Ready Player One, a book so packed with 80s nostalgia it practically comes with a mullet. But before diving into Wade Watts’ pixelated adventure, Alex shakes up the Pac-Man cocktail—because what better way to honor a book obsessed with old-school gaming than with a drink named after the hungriest circle in history?

From the high-speed treasure hunt to Wade’s questionable life choices, we break down the best and worst parts of Cline’s geek-fueled dystopia. Jouist? James would rather Top Gear. The villain? A corporate cliché, but maybe it was Ogg who was the real villain? And of course, we couldn’t ignore those sneaky little plot holes lurking in the code.

So grab your joysticks (and your drinks), and join us for a deep dive into a book that’s either a love letter to retro gaming or an overly long Wikipedia binge—depending on how much you like references... Total love letter!

onus Episode! Mid Month - Ready Player One - Ernest ClineNext Month - Dungeon Crawler Carl - The Dungeon Anarchists Cookbook

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In this episode of Novel Liquors, Alex and James dive headfirst into the absolute chaos of Dungeon Crawler Carl: Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (book two). This time, Carl and Donut stumble into the world’s worst circus—think less “funhouse” and more “mold-infested death trap.” There are killer clowns, questionable carnival snacks, and one very, very bad day involving a bomb that leaves Carl completely naked. Alex marvels at the sheer insanity of it all, while James debates his race selection process—because let’s be honest, picking the wrong one in this dungeon could get you turned into a flesh piñata. Grab your Jaeger Bombs (fitting, really) , Hobgolin and prepare for a hilariously unhinged deep dive into Carl’s latest disaster!

Bonus Episode! Mid Month - Ready Player One - Ernest ClineNext Month - Dungeon Crawler Carl - The Dungeon Anarchists Cookbook

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Join Alex and James as we dive headfirst into the artful world of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher: Blood of Elves. With quality Liquor and plenty to say, we unpack the author's masterful subtlety—how a single sentence can unveil the soul of a character. From clueless Witchers to Yennefer’s surprising choice of the word “ugly,” we explore what makes this book a brilliant foundation for the beloved series. Raise a stein and celebrate the magic, mystery, and medieval vibes of the Continent. Cheers!

Next Month - Dungeon Crawler Carl | Carl's Doomsday Scenario - Matt Dinniman

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