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A ghost with a deadline. A people pleaser with a past. A Christmas Carol framework that dares to ask whether love can rewrite the rules. We dive into Good Spirits by BK Borison and unpack why this holiday romance feels tender, funny, and surprisingly cathartic. From the opening meet-cute to the late-game goodbye that nearly broke us, we trace how the book balances cozy predictability with real emotional stakes, and why that combo is exactly what many of us crave this time of year.

We also explore the book’s sly worldbuilding: an afterlife that runs like a slightly exasperated office, reapers with missing paperwork, and a boss whose accent paints a picture before we get the backstory. Think Beetlejuice bureaucracy meets Spirited’s cheerful existentialism. The panel shares personal reflections on people pleasing, boundary setting, and how Harriet’s growth feels painfully familiar in the best way. Add in a very opinionated cat, on-point spice, and a romance that builds through conversation and care, and you’ve got a seasonal standout.

Beyond the review, we detour through folklore with a lidérc deep dive, gush over special editions in the Grishaverse, and chat about the growing crossover between sports events and book fandoms. We close with recs for holiday retellings and audiobooks with memorable performances, plus our favorite Christmas Carol adaptations that shaped how we read stories like this one. If you love cozy fantasy romance, gentle hauntings, and HEAs that feel earned, press play and warm up with us. Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and share the show, and tell us your favorite holiday romance or Carol adaptation—we’re taking notes for our year-end wrap-up!

Links from the Episode

• Witches Love Monsters series collaboration or multiple authors coming
  • Regine Abel, Opal Reyne, Naomi Lucas, Tiffany Roberts
  • 4 spicy novellas featuring witches and monsters
  • Will be available on KU
  • Instagram Link
• Illumicrate is releasing a special edition of the Six of Crows duology.
  • Royal hardbacks, not signed
  • General presale 01/22 at 3pm GDT
  • Instagram Link
• 2025-2026 Nuggets Fourth Wing Interest Slip is available for submission
  • Wed 04/08/26 versus the Memphis Grizzlies
  • Standard or VIP package
  • Facebook Link

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Instagram - @ofswordsandsoulmates

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A stitched body, a bruised heart, and a question that won’t let go: who bears the burden for what we make? We dive into Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and trace its roots from Mary Shelley’s storm-lit summer to a modern, war-shadowed tale about creation, responsibility, and the cost of love. This isn’t just another gothic retelling—it’s a story about breaking cycles, where forgiveness is the bravest experiment in the lab.

We start with the news that’s lighting up romantasy—cover reveals, special editions, and why “trend readers vs genre readers” is shaping online discourse more than craft. Then we jump into the film’s craft: Oscar Isaac as a preening, brilliant Victor; Jacob Elordi as a towering, soulful Creature who learns love the way many of us do—from stories and the rare person who is kind; and Mia Goth’s striking dual roles that knit grief, desire, and projection into Victor’s unraveling. We talk color symbolism and costume design as character psychology, from blood-red guilt to nature-drenched greens and x-ray-stitched gowns. Practical effects and built sets keep the world tactile: a ship that creaks, a laboratory that feels engineered by obsession, and camera moves that play like a rock concert.

The adaptation choices matter. Setting the tale against the Crimean War reframes Victor’s ambition as morally funded by violence, while the “brain bargain” with an arms dealer sharpens the ethics of creation. Del Toro’s ending—asking for forgiveness instead of doubling down on punishment—will spark debate among purists, but it lands with emotional clarity. We wrestle with whether this is a kissing story, and arrive at something richer: a romance of care, where monstrosity looks less like stitched skin and more like the refusal to take responsibility for what you bring into the world.

If you love romantasy, gothic cinema, adaptation theory, or just want to argue about whether color motifs can break your heart, you’ll feel right at home. Hit play, then tell us your hottest Frankenstein take, share the episode with a friend, and tap follow so you never miss what we resurrect next.

Links from the News Segment and Show:

• Kimberly Lemming did a cover reveal for her latest novel - I Punched An Alien And Now We’re In Couples Therapy
  • Instagram Link
• LitJoy Crate is doing a special edition of Gail Carson Levine’s The Two Princesses of Bamarre
  • Link to LitJoy
• Cover revealed for The Wrath Gods Reap by Abigail
  • Instagram Link
• Cover revealed for Loched in Love by Jacklyn Hyde
  • Instagram Link
• Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked is releasing a prequel Galinda novel
  • Instagram Link
• Time released their 100 must read books of 2025
  • Link to article
• Threads discussion on What’s Going on in Romantasy
  • Link to Threads

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Instagram - @ofswordsandsoulmates

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/ofswordsandsoulmates

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Oz isn’t just emerald and glitter; it’s a lesson in how stories get made and weaponized. We jump from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked to the Broadway phenomenon and the record-breaking film to unpack how a green-skinned girl became a political problem, a best friend, and a cultural icon. Along the way, we contrast the novel’s darker theology and politics with the musical’s friendship-forward heart and the movie’s big-screen mythmaking, asking what each version chooses to spotlight—and why.

We dig into the performances that make the film crackle: Jeff Goldblum’s attention-hoarding Wizard, Michelle Yeoh’s velvet-gloved operator as Madame Morrible, and Cynthia Erivo’s fierce, aching Elphaba who refuses to be managed. Peter Dinklage’s Dr. Dillamond turns prejudice into a gut punch, while Glinda’s arc reveals how image and approval can be tools of control.

Beyond the screen, we step through Universal’s Wicked Experience in Orlando—costumes, set pieces, and a guided path from Shiz to Emerald City—proof that modern fandom doesn’t end with credits. Then we broaden the lens: why monster stories surge in a perfection-obsessed era, how propaganda reframes dissent as danger, and what it costs to speak when silence is safer. We’re saving the “is it a kissing story” verdict for the sequel, but the first film already hits where it counts: who gets to define good, and will your friends still stand close when the posters call you wicked?

Tell us: book, musical, or movie—who nailed Oz for you? Subscribe, rate, and share to bring more listeners into the Emerald City conversation.

News and Links

• LitJoy preorders for The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black (Link)
• Cover for Adversary to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maeher (Instagram Link)
• Cover for World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade (Instagram Link)
• Author LJ Andrews has suffered a fire. Donation Link & Instagram Link
• BK Borsion’s sequel to Good Spirits (Ghosted series) will be called Grim Tidings (Instagram Link)
• Ali Hazelwood released an audio first foray into the realm of dark academia on Spotify (Link)
• Vogue Australia article on Monster Romance (Link to article)
• Hannah F Whitten is releasing a new book in 2026, Reliquary (Instagram Link)

Follow us:
Instagram - @ofswordsandsoulmates

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