The Audio File: The Lavender Tavern

As I have said many times before, I'm always more than happy to review and audio drama that is asked of me. It is a great way to find audio dramas that might otherwise fly under my radar. That obviously includes the audio drama we're reviewing today. We're taking a look at The Lavender Tavern.

The Lavender Tavern is an anthology of original LGBT fairytales. Well, more specifically, they're fantasy short stories that feature LGBT characters, and sometimes themes, to varying degrees. I first became aware of The Lavender Tavern when series creator Jonathan Cohen contacted me to ask if I could give The Lavender Tavern a review. He had greatly enjoyed my review of We Fix Space Junk. I said yes, after I took care of a few other things, and now here we are.

Now, this won't be a review of ever story from season one. I'm only reviewing stories that proved memorable in some way. I need more to go on that just "meh, that was a story and it happened" to give a proper review. However, as you will see, the majority of stories from season one managed to be memorable in this way. That would be a pretty good score if I assigned such things. There really isn't much more to add, so let's jump right into the stories.

Our first story is called "The Unlucky Gambler." Our tale is set in a city where everything is literally determined by a roll of the dice. All the citizens choose a pair of dice shortly after they are born. There are many different kinds of dice, and all with different amounts of luck. The citizens roll their dice whenever making a major decision. The higher the number, the better your luck, and thus more favorable the outcome. Oh, and you only get one roll per decision. So, if you get a bad roll, well, though luck. The story follows the life of a man named Anders. His dice are smokey crimson, which means he has an unprecedentedly high amount of bad luck. The story follows Anders across several misadventures as he tries to make the best of his bad luck.

The Lavender Tavern certainly starts off strong with an excellent first story. This one is interesting because, unlike most of the other stories, it appears to be set in a world with technology and society on par with the present day. I kept thinking that maybe there was going to be some sort of twist. Like, perhaps the dice didn't have anything to do with luck, and it was all a scam by the soothsayers to stay in power. But no, it appears that the dice do indeed control one's luck in life. That has some rather dark implications about the world of this story. For example, the story mentions that the city assigns people job based on their luck levels. As a result, poor Anders is stuck with jobs like garbage truck driver and factory janitor. Not that he keeps these jobs for very long. Something always happens to make Anders lose his jobs.

On the one hand, I can understand not wanting people with bad luck have jobs where things could go seriously wrong. You wouldn't want someone like that to be a surgeon, a firefighter, or a bomb disposal technician. Still, in essence, the city seems to run on a caste system of sorts. What do you don't if you don't like any off the jobs available to you? Or what if you don't have any aptitude for those jobs? Of course, Anders is on the more extreme end of things. Perhaps people of more average luck have more options available to them?

People are also segregated into different parts of town based on their luck. Well, technically you can live with friends and family in other parts of town. However, you can only own property within designated areas based on your luck levels. Granted, there is somewhat justification for this. Anders is shown to cause misfortune to befall other people simply by being too close to them. Still, with everyone's luck literally decided by a role of the dice, wouldn't that mean the people of the city don't have true free will? I suppose you could see the dice as an allegory. There are a lot of factors affecting our own lives that are totally outside of our control. We don't choose what social class to be born into. We also don't choose our whether or not to have disabilities or illnesses, or what race we are, or a million other things that can impact our lives.

We also see that having better luck doesn't necessarily guarantee happiness. At one point, Anders works for a... legitimate businessman, shall we say. Anders' boss has solid gold dice with diamonds for dots; one of the highest possible amounts of good luck. The boss is pretty much guaranteed to succeed at everything he does. However, this also means he never has any real challenge, and thus, his victories don't bring him much satisfaction. He uses Anders to cause misfortune to befall other people are part of various schemes he's running. Also, having Anders around means potential for failure, and the boss has to actually work towards his goals.

I won't give away the ending, but I really liked it. It goes that show that even the losers get lucky sometimes. As you can see, this is a very thought-provoking story. All in all, an excellent first episode.

Our second story is called "The Demon's Tale." As the title suggests, this story is about a demon named Akuma. He has been bound to grant three wishes to whoever finds the bottle he is imprisoned in. Just don't try to wish for more wishes. Oh, and he'd prefer if you'd ask for something nobody has ever ask of him before. Do that, and he grant whatever you want, no questions asked. He's about to regale you with his life's story, and will give you clues along the way.

And we have an excellent second episode for The Lavender Tavern. I just loved how flamboyant and full of himself Akuma is. You can tell that Trevor Schechter was having a lot of fun when he narrated this story. Really, this is one of those stories that was going to rise or fall based on the narration. Thankfully, Trevor was more than up to the task. I did like that Akuma had some noble qualities. For example, at one point a cult is created in his honor. However, Akuma draws the line at sacrificing babies. He might be a demon, but even he isn't that evil. Of course, towards the end of the story the mask begins to slip. we see that Akuma's blustering and boasting is, at least in part, do disguise the shame and insecurities he feels about having been humbled and imprisoned. This story was a fun twist on the genie in a bottle story, and great second episode.

Our third episode is called "The Scrying Eye" and it is a two-part story. Bernard is a bright young boy and an aspiring chef. One day, he meets a man name Radolf, who appears with a bright flash of light. Radolf claims to be from the future. He says that one day he will create a device capable of gazing into the past, and Bernard is destined to sketch him doing so. Bernard is determined to fulfill his destiny at any cost, but is that really such a good idea?

This was another story with a lot of interesting ideas. Most of us would like to believe that we are destined for greatness and glory. We wanted to believe that we're going to do something amazing that will go down in the history books. And yet, it is highly likely, if not probably, that you weren't place on this Earth of any grand purpose or destiny. But that's okay. Sometimes, we get so focused on trying to find our purpose, and we fail to realize how good our lives are. We get so swept up in grand narratives and supposed destinies that we fail to appreciate what we have. The true value to our lives is not in great triumphs, but in the simple joys of daily living. Love today, and seize all tomorrows!

All of this easily applies to Bernard. He is a master chef, and an absolute genius in the kitchen. His mentor at the cooking academy even says that he has the potential to be the greatest chef of his generation, and that he has a true gift. However, as soon as Bernard meets Radolf, he drops all of that and goes in enroll in the art academy. Bernard's mentor bemoans how Bernard is throwing away his talent. Bernard's father is one of the greatest artists in the land. However, Bernard hasn't inherited his father's artistic talent. In fact, he only gets into the art academy due to his father's reputation. Barnard's art skills do somewhat improve, but he never gets beyond just passable. He remains a supremely talented chef, and it is clear that cooking is where his talents and passion truly lies. It never seems to occur to Bernard that Radolf might have lied to him, or possibly left out vital context. Context is everything when it comes to prophecies; just ask Oedipus of Thebes.

As you can see, this is another very thought-provoking story. It is also an excellent two-part episode.

Our fourth story is titled "A Plague of Reason." It is set at a land that was once filled with magic, but that was long ago. The universities that once taught sorcery and potions now teach physics and natural science. The age of magic is but a distant memory, if it even existed at all. The story follows a professor named Sorrel. He has received a visit from an old student of his named Edric. Edric claims to have witnessed magical things, and to have even performed magic himself. He doesn't know how, but he swears it is true. Sorrel, however, remains skeptical and offers rational explanations for how these seemingly impossible things could happen.

Well, this was certainly an interesting story. I kept waiting for Edric to pull out some irrefutable trump card, but Sorrel always had a perfectly rational counter. Well, that is...ah, but I should leave that for you to discover. I suppose something like the backstory of this world happened in our own world. In many ways, the forces of nature were considered mythical and almost magical in ancient times. Then we developed the scientific method, and began to unravel the secrets of the universe. Perhaps we did lose a bit of magic in the thrill of the unknown, but I'd argue that we gained so much more.

I've found that I tend to gravitate towards fiction that is set in the real world, or draws heavily from the real world. I spent much of my childhood immersed in books, websites, and documentaries about science, history, geography, and other such subjects. Some people explored the lore of their favor fictional worlds, but I explored the lore of the real world. I guess that's why, with a few exceptions, I tend to not prefer fantasy set in secondary worlds. Who needs a fantasy world when our world is full of wonder and a certain magic all its own? Knowing more about the world doesn't make it less wondrous and magical. Far from it. The world became even richer because we know more about it.

It wasn't all the long ago that flying in an airplane was considered but a distant fantasy. Now, airplane flight has become a mundane part of life. Also, consider the following: at this every moment you are on a rock that is hurdling around a ball of fire at millions of miles per hour. And who are you? You are what hydrogen becomes given billions and billions of years of cosmic evolution. The hydrogen in your body is the same element that Stars use to burn bright. In this way, you and I, and all other living things, are all distant relatives to the stars themselves.

I could go on, but we need to move along. Suffice it to say, that I greatly enjoyed this story, and I'm sure you will as well.

Our next story is "Tavern at the End of the World." A weary traveler seeks shelter from a cold winter storm. He finds a tavern at the end of the world, or what might as well be the end of the world. He is greeted by the man and woman who own the tavern, and they all tell stories to pass the time while the storm rages on.

I always assumed that The Lavender Tavern was just the name of the show. I didn't think that we'd actually get an episode about it; much less an origin story of sorts. My favorite of the three stories told was the one about the woman named Havila. She always loved sword-fighting, wrestling, roughhousing, and other traditionally masculine things. Her parents, however, wished that she'd become a proper lady and find a husband. Havila was also a lesbian, so this created issues. Eventually, Havila got fed up with all of this and sought out a wizard to make her a man. The wizard made her wait thirty days to make sure she really wanted it, but Havila remained steadfast. So, the wizard changed her from Havila to Havil. Everything seems well, but Havil had friend name Orlow, who pinned after him when he was a woman. I should also mention that Havil was a lesbian woman, but is now a gay man. Oh, but wouldn't you know it, Orlow also went to a wizard and is now Orla. Interestingly, Orla still likes girls, despite having gone through the gender-changing magic.

It's almost like "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, but with a more depressing ending. We must assume that the wizard Havil visited lives in a red kingdom, while the one Orla went to lives in a blue kingdom. Hey, Havil's wizard is from the south, while Orla's wizard is from the north.

The other stories in this episode are good too, but I'll leave them for you to discover. This was certainly an unexpected episode, but not an unwelcome one.

Next up we have "The Golden Door" another two-part story. The story follows a man named Finn who lives in a small village. Many years ago, the village was hit by a massive famine. As a result, most of the villagers prefer to eat simple light meals, even though they have plenty of food. Finn, however, loves to eat and cook, and has grown rather plump as a result. This means that Finn is the only person in town who can't pass through the golden door at the village temple. None of the other villagers will tell Finn what is behind the golden door. Finn is determined to get beyond the golden door at any cost. But what will he find on the other end?

Several religions preach against gluttony and eating to excess, but usually don't do very much to enforce these teachings. Historically, there usually weren't very many fat people, prior to the invention of processed food. Those who were fat tended to be members of the nobility, and nobility were the biggest donors to religious institutions. So, you know, don't bite the hand that feeds you, and all that. I suspected from the start that the villagers' prejudice against fat people might involve religion. As the story went on, my suspicions were confirmed.

Now, the villagers aren't overtly mean to Finn. They did all attend the opening of his restaurant. None of them ever go "Hey, fatty! Why don't you lose some weight alright, fatso?" However, they do passive aggressively fat shame him. For example, it's only when Finn begins to lose weight that people are willing to actually give him the time of day. Before that, Finn only has one real friend. Her name is Celine, and she goes on to become a traveling singer. She's a good friend, and at least makes an effort to truly enjoy the food Finn makes. However, she's not exactly romance material, because Finn is gay. It's just as well, because Celine is a lesbian. When I heard her name, and that she's a singer, I immediately thought of Celine Dion. 

Jonathan tells me that he intended the story to be an allegory for male eating disorders, and society’s impact of body imagine. I can certainly see that. Finn starves himself so that he fits what the village considers acceptable in terms of body size. However, he makes himself completely miserable, and is not true to himself and his convictions in life. Psychologists have increasingly suggested that eating disorders are far more common among men that previously estimated.  

So, we're going to have to talk about what is behind the golden door. So, skip down about five or six paragraphs if you'd rather not know.

What is behind door number one, you ask? Why...a glorious tavern. It is like a tavern from heaven itself. Oh, and the man running the tavern, and preparing the meals, is quite the Adonis himself. This divinely handsome man is named Valery. His food is...rather unconventional. It looks like geometric shapes in various primary colors. The taste, well, imagine if you poured sugar into a cup of tea, but you made a mistake and poured salt instead. I'm not entirely sure, but the way the food is described might possibly be a dig at molecular gastronomy.

Finn invites Valery back to his restaurant to see what real food is like. The two grow close, and we learn how the temple works. Before the famine, the temple priests performed rituals that involved eating foods which represented the gods. I'm reminded of how Catholics believe themselves to regularly consume their patron deity during communion. Naturally, villagers flocked to the temple when the famine hit. So, they created the golden door as a way to encourage people to eat less. That way, they'd have more food to go around if another famine happened. Of course, this also resulted in passive-aggressive bullying of fat people. This reinforces my theory that this story is an allegory for the prejudice LGBT individuals have received from religious institutions.

Valery works the temple tavern because the priests believe he was chosen by the gods to do so. Despite this, he's miserable, and is aware that his food is terrible. He's eager to learn proper cooking from Finn, and they grow close.

Finn and Valery throw a massive multi-day feast that the whole village attends. For once, Finn gets people to genuinely appreciate his cooking. However, three days of non-stop feasting later, the villagers are too fat to fit through the golden door. It doesn't take long for them to revert to their old ways. Sadly, this is probably fairly realistic. It's going to take more than just one feast to overturn an ingrained religious tradition. Finn decides that he'll never be accepted in his village, so he strikes out for other towns with Valery at his side. This is also realistic. Sometimes, especially in smaller towns, you just won't find acceptance if you fall outside the norm. Leaving home can be scary, but it can also be rewarding, once you find where you truly belong.

Well, as you can see, I greatly enjoyed this story. It certainly gives a lot to think about, and the descriptions of Finn's cooking were mouthwatering. Be warned, you might not want to listen to this one on an empty stomach.

Out next port of call is "The Merchant of Dreams." The story follows a traveling merchant named Dimitri who sells bottled dreams. However, he never dreams when he sleeps. Dimitri ponders about why this might be.

This story reminded me a bit of the Oscar Wilde short story "The Happy Prince." I wonder what sort of dream I would buy from Dimitri. I guess it would depend on what he had in stock. Ooh, maybe something like going on adventures with dragons. I liked that Dimitri had no ulterior motives. He genuinely wants to make other people happy. In a way, he's living the dream in the waking world. Not much more to add here, other than a firm recommendation.

Our next stop is "The Arbiter's Ruling." Two wizards have gotten into an intellectual property dispute over a spell. So, they're taking the matter to court for the arbiters to settle.

Well, that was unexpected. You don't see too many fantasy stories that are also courtroom dramas. To say nothing of fantasy stories about intellectual property law. And yet, despite the unusual premise, this story works and is quite engaging. I had a similar idea for a short story that I never got around to writing. I should probably do something about that. If you've ever wondered what a legal procedural with a fantasy twist would be like, look no further than this story.

Next up we have "The Gods Above the Table." This story follows two wizards who get together each week to play a board game. It's a bit like Dungeons & Dragons, but they use their magic to literally bring the game to life. The two wizards control the lives of the tiny people within the game. The wizards wonder if perhaps there is a higher power controlling their lives.

This story wasn't bad, but I felt like it was a bit too short for its own good. It comes up with a potentially interesting idea, but doesn't really do anything with it. It seems to have been trying to out for some sort of Inception style metafictional thing, but it missed the mark. Is there a higher power? What does it mean for the lives of the characters and their place in the universe? Beats me, and the story doesn't offer any answers either. I did enjoy the repertoire the characters had with each other. Still, I feel that this story got yanked out of the oven before it had a chance to bake properly.

We move on to "Auerbach's Destiny." There is a prophecy that speaks of a great hero who shall embrace his destiny and vanquish darkness from the land. The sages have searched throughout the land, and have identified a young man named Auerbach who they believe to be the chosen one. However, he's slightly different than what the prophecy said he'd be. Moreover, Auerbach claims that he isn't really the chosen one, and he has the evidence to back it up. Just what is going on here?

This story feels like a deconstruction of the chosen one trope. There are plenty examples of chosen ones who really wish they weren't; Harry Potter, Avatar Aang, Bobby Pendragon, and Percy Jackson, just to name a few. Many will sulk and complain, but will more often than not resign themselves to their fate. There's always something of an unspoken guarantee that everything will be alright, and the hero will save the day. That is, of course, assuming the prophecy got everything right. Or more accurately, that people wrote down the prophecy correctly. Hey, ambitious syntax can lead to some nasty surprises if you aren't careful.

This story asks what it would be like if the great prophecy got things wrong. For example, the prophecy claims that the chosen one will be gay, and even names his one true love, but Auerbach is straight. Moreover, he claims to have uncovered evidence that he was actually switched at birth, and the true prophecy hero died as an infant. He makes a pretty good case for all of this. But, how can this be.

Skip down a couple paragraphs if you'd rather not know.

So, it is possible...because Auerbach lied. He was not switched at birth. He fakes some evidence to make it appear so. He is indeed the hero of the prophecy. However, the prophecy says that darkness will not rise unless the chosen one embraces his destiny. This gives Auerbach a convent loophole to avoid his prophesied fate. I guess the lesson here is that, despite what the world might expect of us, we are the ones who truly shape our destiny. You are the one who writes your own story. So, make sure it has a happy ending. Chalk another one up for The Lavender Tavern.

Our final story is "Boulder in the Sky." This story is told to us by one of two wizards who are using their magic to hold up a massive boulder above a village. In years past, they fell in love and we're happy together. How, one wizard is a light magic user, while the other is a dark magic user. As you might imagine, this created some issues, which ultimately result in their current predicament. The boulder requires them both to keep it aloft, and they both refuse to let go.

This was a shorter story, but still plenty of fun. The two wizards are a bit like the yin-yang symbol. They're two opposites, one light and one dark, locked together in an eternal dance. Well, eternal unless they work out their differences. Love might be able to conquer a lot of things, but I guess stubbornness triumphs over love. I guess the moral is that you should really get to know a person before you take further. This was another story where the narration really sells it. Not much more to add, other than that I enjoyed it.

And so that is all the episodes that caught my attention. It wasn't every story for, season one, but it was most of them, and would probably make for a respectable score if I assigned such things. I'm always on the hunt for more great anthology fiction, and The Lavender Tavern more than delivers on that. Taken as a whole, I found it to be an enjoyable and well-written podcast. why not give it a listen?

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: The Two Princes

I've said this before, but if I hear a podcast recommended enough, sooner or later I'll take a look at it to see what all the fuss is about. Sometimes I find the shows to be severely overhyped. Other times, however, I discover that the show in question is indeed worthy of all of the praise. The show we'll be taking a look at today falls into that second category. We're taking a look at The Two Princes.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far way, the King of the West and the King of the East faced each other in battle. Both kings wanted their kingdom to dominate the other, but their fighting caused a magical forest to sprout. Ah, but this wasn't one of those happy magical forests. It was a fearsome dangerous place that threatened to consume both the Kingdom of the West and the Kingdom of the East. All hope rests on their two sons. When two princes enter the Hallow of the Two Kings, upon reaching their eighteenth year, one kingdom shall rise, and the curse shall be broken.

Rupert, the Prince of the West, has led a fairly sheltered life. His mother, Queen Lavinia, has filled his life with parties and balls, and his trying her best to get Rupert married off. Rupert, for his part, prefers curling up with the good book, and cares not for the maidens he mother constantly tries to set him up with. Rupert decides that he must venture into the enchanted forest and break the curse. Along the way he meets Amir, Prince of the East, and a skilled fighter and statesman. There's plenty of adventure, comedy, and entertaining times as the two princes race to fulfill their destiny. Along the way, they were discover feeling for each other they never thought possible.

What can I say? I absolutely adore this audio drama. The humor reminds me a bit of the Shrek movies. And I mean that as a compliment. I love all of the Shrek movies and specials. A lot of people do so ironically, but I unironically love them. The Two Princes occasionally pokes fun, in an affectionate way, at various fantasy tropes, and liberally indulges in anachronisms. For example, you have characters who say things like "LOL" and "OMG" despite the setting being vaguely Medieval European. And there's one point where Rupert talks about how he thinks Sam and Diane should get together. It sounds like an anachronistic reference to Cheers, but then it turns out Sam and Diane are servants who work in the castle.

The characters will also often swear in the name various figures from Arthurian Legend, despite living in a separate fantasy world. There's also a point when Rupert nearly get eaten by a carnivorous plant that disguises herself of Flora, the Roman goddess of plants. Well, she never calls herself a Roman goddess, but she does call herself a goddess.

Also, I just love the voice acting. Yes, it is all very well performed, but there's another reason I love it: the accents. I know I'm going to get flack for this, but personally, I get tired of everyone on fantasy having British accents. Give me some American accents! Thankfully, The Two Princes give me my much longed-for American accents. Oh, there are a couple characters with British accents, but they are minor characters. All the major characters have American accents, and I love The Two Princes for that, among many other reasons.

However, also much like Shrek, The Two Princes more often than not plays the various fantasy tropes perfectly straight, and wholeheartedly embraces them. In fact, The Two Princes is very much a Heroic Fantasy story, but with lots of jokes and character development. Well, that and the interracial gay romance, but we'll talk more about that in a minute.

For now, we need to discuss what exactly Heroic Fantasy is. Heroic Fantasy is the middle ground between High Fantasy and Low Fantasy. There's less focus on geopolitics of different nations, and the setting is mostly there for the heroes to have adventures and quests in. It's also more hopeful and optimistic than Low Fantasy, and the heroes are genuinely heroic. The problems, while serious, tend to be more localized, rather than the potentially world destroying kind you see in High Fantasy. So less Lord of the Rings, and more Dungeons & Dragons, or perhaps Conan the Barbarian. Very closely related to the Sword & Sorcery genre, though that takes a somewhat darker approach.

Our two leads are a study in contrast. Rupert has been sheltered for most of his life, so he isn't much of a fighter. He usually tries to solve his problems with his wits and cunning, but his lack of real-world experience often proves to be a stumbling block. Still, he has his moments. For example, when he and Amir are attacked by a band of traveling thespians, Rupert, with Amir's help, comes up with a plan to disarm the performers. They do so by pretending to be aspiring actors who are looking for constructive criticism of their play, which requires them to use all the weapons the actors have.

By contrast, Amir has been trained to be a prince practically since birth. He's skilled with the sword, but also knows the art of diplomacy and state crafting. He's noble and has a strong sense of honor and duty. He's also kind to the low classes. For much of the first season, Rupert hides his identity from Amir, pretending to be a thief named Fitzroy. After getting of his initial disgust at "Fitzroy's" choice of career, Amir is shown to treat him with genuine respect, and comes to enjoy Rupert's company.

The feeling is very much mutual. As I have previously mentioned, a big selling point of The Two Princes is that it features Rupert and Amir developing an interracial gay romance. Rupert is white, and Amir...well, it isn't quite clear what race he is. The official series art clearly depicts Amir as non-white, but he could be black, or Indian, maybe Middle Eastern, maybe even some combo thereof. The Kingdom of the East seems to have the same vaguely Medieval European, with some elements of modern-day America, culture as the Kingdom of the West, with perhaps a dash of Middle Eastern for flavor. All that aside, I thought Rupert and Amir's romance was well-written and very cute.

Also, Rupert and Amir have a pet dragon named Porridge. They found him as an egg when they were exploring a cave, and he imprinted on them when he hatched. Rupert has always had a great love of dragons, especially since they were believed to be extinct. Of course, it turns out account of the extinction of dragons were greatly exaggerated. And no, I don't mean just because of Porridge.

In other secondary characters, I loved Sir Joan. She wants to be a knight like her father and grandfather, but her father and the other knights disapproves because she's a girl. Still, she proves herself, and Rupert and Amir's mothers task her with helping them find their sons. She also transforms Rupert's former suitors into an army of badass warriors. I really liked Sir Joan, and I wish she'd gotten more screentime. It might have been nice to have her join Rupert and Amir. Now, I can understand that this might have interfered with the development of their relationship. Oh well, maybe in a future season.

Okay, from this point forward we are going to talk about season two. I should also point out that season two is exclusively available on Spotify. As such, we're going talk about the ending for season one of The Two Princes. So, if you don't want any spoilers, now would probably be a good time to get off the train.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

Well, okay, if everyone who wants off is gone, let's begin.

Rupert and Amir make it the Hallow of the Two Kings. Their fathers are still there, but have been twisted into a pair of evil trees. This explains where the mysterious whispers Rupert has been hearing came from.

So, Rupert and Amir prepare to do battle, but then Rupert confesses his feeling for Amir. Before long, Amir does the same, and the next thing you know they're kissing. Not long after that the curse is broken, and the forest disappears. Surprise! The prophecy went that one kingdom would rise, because the two kingdoms will be united when Rupert and Amir marry each other. I must admit, I really like how the curse was broken, and the twist of the prophecy. The ending is really heartwarming, and our two princes certainly earned their happily ever after.

So, with an excellent first season under its belt, how does The Two Princes handle season two? Quite well, actually. In fact, I'd say it just keeps getting better.

Season two begins with Rupert and Amir preparing for their wedding. They've decided to build their castle between the two kingdoms, right where the Hallow of the Two Kings used to be. Unfortunately, Malkia, the former sorceress queen of the Midlands, has come to reclaim her kingdom. Rupert and Amir manage to save the kingdom, but at the cost of Amir getting amnesia. Worse, Malkia is going to return with an army of ghosts to take the kingdom by force. Thankfully, our two princes receive help from a good sorceress, who send the, on a quest to get ingredients from a potion to restore Amir's memories and defeat Malkia.

This season sees Rupert and Amir switch roles. Rupert has to be the proactive one who faces-off against the various threats. Amir, by contrast, has become scared of his own shadow, is easily distracted, and wants to be called Chad. It allows Rupert to grow as a character, while providing moments of comedy with Amir. There are also moments where Rupert questions if it is moral for him to restore Amir's memories. The is presented as a moral dilemma, but I call bullshit. Yes, amnesiac Amir will be gone with Rupert restores his memories, but old Amir will be gone if he doesn't. Why does amnesiac Amir, or Chad as he calls himself, have any more of a right to exist just because he's the one in the driver's seat? Doesn't old Amir get a say? It comes across as a weak attempt at drama, and a forced conflict.

Also, at the beginning of the season we learn that the royal baker refuses to make a cake for Rupert and Amir's wedding. And the royal florist also refuses to take part in the wedding. This is clearly mean to be a comment on the gay wedding cake debate, but it falls flat because The Two Princes is not set in our world. Rupert and Amir are, I assume, absolute monarchs. Couldn't they just throw the baker and florist in the dungeon, or threaten to have them beheaded, for refusing to make stuff for the wedding? Granted, both princes are wary about abusing their power because of their fathers, but still.

Thankfully, the moral dilemma doesn't play as big of a role in the plot as I might have made it seem. The quest itself is a lot of fun. One of the ingredients is unicorn horn, so Rupert and Amir travel to a menagerie in the hinterlands. Unfortunately, Rupert discovers that the menagerie was forced to eat its animals because the enchanted forest limited their food supply. And wouldn't you know it, that was the last unicorn in the world. Wow, Rupert and Amir really need to make a magical version of the Environmental Protection Agency. That would be pretty tragic, but what pushed it into comedy was that we're told the unicorn tasted like chicken.

The second item is the song of a siren. The siren they meet, named Lorelei, turns out to be surprisingly nice, and I hope she reappears in future seasons. She tries to seduce Rupert with her song, but it fails because he's gay. Amusingly, it turns out Rupert is the third gay person Lorelei has encountered. I must say that the third ingredient, hydra venom, was very well done. Each of the heads ask Rupert a different riddle, and it was a good opportunity to showcase Rupert's strength as a character.

Also, Sir Joan is back. She spends most of the seasons taking care of things so Rupert and Amir can go on their quest, but she's back all the same. She also has a girlfriend...sort of. Lady Cecily was head-over-heel for Rupert in the first seasons, but now she's got the hots for Sir Joan. This means the series has at least one confirmed bisexual character. For her part, Sir Joan isn't sure what to think of Lady Cecily, but there are hints that she'll come around to her eventually. Lady Cecily was my favorite of Rupert's hopeless suitors, mainly because she was the only one with a clearly defined personality, but still.

So, we've had two great seasons, but can The Two Princes pull off an amazing third season? Oh yes, it managed to bowl a turkey. Season three goes above and beyond its already amazing predecessors.

Season three sees Rupert and Amir's long-awaited wedding finally take place. The entire Kingdom of the Heartland is filled with joy as the big day fast approaches. Ah, but things rarely stay peaceful for Rupert and Amir. There are reports of a dark force growing in the hinterlands. Might this have something to do with the mysterious Prince Darling? Will true love be able to triumph over all adversity?

Like I said, this season goes even further in terms of quality than its already excellent predecessors. Also, this time round the season is a musical. All of the songs are excellent, and it certainly helps that most of the cast members have singing experience. Amusingly, it appears that everyone really is bursting into song and dance in-universe. At one point, members of the royal guard are late to a meeting because they got caught up in a dance number. I was also amused when the narrator recap at the begging of the episodes at one point said "Oh, why I am repeating all of this? You're probably binging this podcast." Yeah, that's more or less what I did this season. The Two Princes knows me well.

I suspected that Prince Darling was going to be behind the coming of The Despair, and I was even somewhat correct about why. He was blessed by the queen of the fairies to bring joy, happiness, and parties wherever he goes. Unfortunately, due to the balance between good and evil, Darling also brings The Despair wherever he goes. As the name suggest, it is the living embodiment of despair, and consumes all in its wake. Though, I will admit I was wrong about Darling's character. I assumed he was evil, but it turns out he takes no joy in bring The Despair. He was more or less exactly what he appeared to be.

One minor critique is that I wish Rupert's relationship with Lord Chamberlain had been developed. Lord Chamberlain is one of oldest servants of the palace, and figured out that Rupert was gay ever before Rupert himself knew. This is because Lord Chamberlain is also gay, but he had to hide his sexuality because, for most of his life, the kingdom wasn't a very accepting place for homosexuals. But Rupert and Amir's marriage has brought him tears of joy, because it shows that the kingdom will become a kinder and more tolerant place, where future generations of gay people will be able to live happy and openly. He also says that he has always been very close to Rupert, and considers him the son he never had. In turn, Rupert considers Lord Chamberlain to be a surrogate father. All well and good, but I think it would be a bit more meaningful if their relationship had a bit more development. And I thought it was nice that Lord Chamberlain got a love interest in the end.

I thought that the way Rupert defeated The Despair was very well done. He remembers all the people in his life who love him. He remembers his romantic love for Amir, his familial love for Lord Chamberlain, and the platonic love of all the subjects of his kingdom. The Despair might have consumed everything, but as long as Rupert remembered the love in his life, he would never be truly alone. Or to put it another way, remembering all of that love meant he never gave into despair. The actual confrontation with The Despair actually doesn't last all that long, but that just meant the final episode could devote more time to everyone's happy endings.

Sir Joan is back, and she has to deal with her disapproving father. Thankfully, Lady Cecily put him on his place with a rousing music number about how he needs to get with the times. That was especially nice because Lady Cecily broke up with Sir Joan at the start of the season, and started dating Sir Percy. But hey, we all knew that was never gonna last. Especially after, to the surprise of no at all, Sir Percy discovered that he likes boys.

This season also answered a question I'd been wondering for a while now. Rupert and Amir getting married is all well and good, but aren't they going to be concerned about needing a royal heir eventually? Well, as I somewhat suspected, it turns out that adoption was always an option for them. That's good, as it will prevent the kingdom from suffering any nasty succession crisis and/or civil war once they have gone to receive their great reward.

Things won't always be easy for Rupert and Amir, especially with their track record of luck. Still, just because there might be tough times ahead doesn't mean they won't be able to make it if they preserver and focus on the positives. This isn't their happily ever after, it's the happy beginning of a lifetime of more adventures. Rupert and Amir still have plenty of places to go and things to discover, and they'll do so together and happy.

Of course, you could also interpret the finishing musical number in a metafictional sense. The creators of The Two Princes are in talks with HBO Max to adapt the podcast into an animated series. I've also heard rumors that season three will be the final season of the podcast. That would make sense if the animated series has been given the green light. The producers, and I would hope all the actors for the podcast, would want to give the animated series their undivided attention. If this is true, it will be sad to see the podcast come to and end. Of course, all good things must come to an end, and all that. And hey, at least the podcast will live on in the animated series.

It would certainly be a pretty big thing if the animated series happens. I hope they use the same art style as the title cards. It might be fun to actually get to see the characters, and I hope they keep the original voice cast. But this is all a topic for another day. For now, I think it's time to wrap this review up.

Well, I think that's everything of note without spoiling the ending of season two. So, there you have it. The Two Princes is a fun, funny, entertaining heroic fantasy audio drama with a well-written gay romance. Be sure to listen today, you'll be glad that you did. Remember, seasons two and three are exclusively available on Spotify.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: Moonface

I love speculative fiction audio dramas, but I also enjoy more down to Earth audio dramas. I'm always very happy when I can find one of those podcasts. Especially if they live up to my standards. That brings us to the audio drama we'll be reviewing today. We're taking a look at the podcast Moonface. 

Moonface follows a young gay Korean-American man named Paul who lives in Downey, a suburb of Los Angles. He's a wayward twenty-something desperately trying to make his way in the world. More importantly, he's trying to come out to his mother. This is complicated by the fact that she doesn't really speak English, but Paul doesn't really speak Korean. The series follows Paul as he tries to find both his place in the world and a way to connect with his mother.

I first became aware of this podcast when I was browsing on the r/audiodrama subreddit. There was a thread about great single season podcasts. I shared my favorites, such as Lights Out and The Hermes & Hekate Road Show, but I also went to see what everybody else was recommending. One person recommended an audio drama called Moonface. I checked it out, and saw that it wasn't too long, and the premise sounded interesting. I'm more willing to take a gamble on shorter shows, since if I don't like them, it will be over soon. Of course, if I wind-up loving them, which is fairly often, I always wish they'd go on for longer. Thankfully, I can safely say that Moonface falls in the latter category. Though I would say it is about as long as it needs to be.

It occurs to me that I'm reviewing this podcast in the middle of Pride Month. Those of you who have been following this blog for a while will know that there is no set schedule, and as such I did not plan this. It is merely a happy coincidence. If I get things posted in a timely manner, it is something of a small miracle.

Moonface is created by James Kim. Like Paul, he is a young gay Korean-American man who lives in Los Angles. He also struggled to connect with his parents due to not being able to speak Korean. Also, like Paul, he has worked in radio and podcasting. I suspected that there were some autobiographical elements to Moonface, and based on what James has said in interview, it appears my hunch were correct.

Moonface very much draws from the Asian-American and LGBT experience. However, you do not have to be Asian-American or LGBT to enjoy this podcast. I have PDD, Pervasive Developmental Disorder. It is an autism spectrum disorder that has aspects of Asperger's, Autism, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia and because misery loves company, Anxiety and Depression. It not the same as being visually a minority, but I often find parallels to my own experience in the stories of minorities. I also related to Paul's struggles to find his place in a post-college world. And even disregarding all of that, Moonface is a well-written and engaging podcast.

I'd like to take a minute to talk about the sound editing and sound design for Moonface. There are several instances of long stretches of silence, with the only noise being ambient background noise. It helps to paint the scenes and indicate the emotions of the characters. In-universe, one of Paul's ideas for a podcast is one composed of nothing but ambient noises.

Of course, another big aspect of Moonface is the focus on language and communication. Obviously, there are no subtitles in podcasts, so we hear what Paul hears. When his mother speaks untranslated Korean, and he can't understand it, that's what we hear. It serves to underscore the language barrier between them. Furthermore, we get flashbacks to Paul's childhood. We see that he speaks Korean fluently when he is a little boy, but gradually loses the language as he gets older. By the present day, he can only speak a handful of Korean words, and not very well at that. This does reflect not only James Kim's experience, but also that of Korean-Americans, and children of immigrants in general.

Usually, immigrants will speak their native langue, with enough English to get by day-to-day. Their children will usually be bilingual, but the grandchildren of the immigrants are usually the ones who loose the language and speak exclusively English. Korean-American are different, as with them, it is usually the children of immigrants who lose the language. Why exactly this happen is unknown, particularly given that there are still large amounts of Koreans immigrating to America, which usually preserves the language for a bit.

James Kim did a report about this phenomenon when he worked for a Southern Californian NPR affiliate. Based on his own admission, and the testimony of his parents, he lost it due to apathy towards Korean culture. For Paul, that appeared to be a factor as well, but also his desire to fit-in with his non-Korean classmates. One of the flashbacks sees Paul's elementary school class going on a field trip to his house to learn about traditional Korean homes. He becomes embarrassed by how strange his classmates find his home, and that seems to be the point he turns his back on Korean culture.

You do learn several tidbits about Korean culture during the course of the podcast. For example, when Paul's mom catches him in bed with his boyfriend Ryan, Paul isn't too panicked. In traditional Korean culture, it isn't uncommon for two men to share a bed. There's also a point where Paul and a fellow Korean-American classmate at his podcasting class compare experiences. They talk about going to Korean megachurches in their youth, and getting looked down on by the rich Korean kids. Christianity is fairly common among Koreans. About thirty percent of South Korea identifies as Christian. I've had several Korean Christians attempt to proselytize me over the years. I've also had many Black Jehovah's Witnesses, and Black Christians generally, do the same. The number White proselytizers tended to be fairly low, but I suppose that might be a quirk of where I live.

As a side note, I just wanted to say that I utterly adored Paul's two best friends, Shayla and Danny. They've been Paul's best friends since he was in the third-grade, and are also struggling to figure out what to do with their lives. Shayla dreams of being a fashion designer, but keeps getting passed over for promotions, and is stuck as an assistant. Danny wants to be an artist, but his self-doubt causes him to be stuck working in a retail store. Shayla is Black, and Danny is Mexican-American and gay, and they often compare and contrast their experience with Paul. They're also the ones who encourage Paul to get out of his rut, and add levity to the show.

Obviously, being gay, and trying to come out to his mom, is an important aspect of Paul's character. However, it is not the be-all end-all of who he is. He has his desire to be a podcaster, as well as his general search for a purpose to his life. Paul thinks that coming out to his mom will be this big turning point, but what he really wants is to figure out what he wants to do with his life.

Moonface is a great audio drama podcast, and every audio drama needs a great team of voice actors. James Kim certainly went the extra mile to get that team for Moonface. Paul is voiced by Joel Kim Booster. I'm not previously familiar with him, but he did an excellent job. James really wanted Joel for the part, so I'm glad it all worked out. Paul's mother was played by Esther Moon Wu. Again, not previously familiar, but she also did a good job, especially given the limits of the role. The other voice actors are also excellent. They're all professional actors who have appeared in shows such as Dear White People, The Affair, and Where the Bears Are. The endings for each episode feature music from a different South Korean indie band. It all sounds awesome, and made me want to look-up the bands.

Now we've at the part of the review where we have to go into spoilers. So turn back now if you don't want any of that.

This is your last chance, you sure you want to go forward?

If you're still here, and want to continue to the spoilers, then let's begin.

So, Paul finally confesses to his mom about his sexuality...and she doesn't care, because she already knows. However, she is angry that he hasn't bothered to learn Korean, especially since they're going on a trip to visit family in Seoul soon. But more than just that, she's angry that he isn't making an effort to connect with her, especially because she's been trying to improve her English specifically for this purpose.

Admittedly, I kind of suspected something like this was going to happen. All the same, it was a very effective reveal. But we aren't done yet. I did chuckle a little when Paul's mother says that she's known he was gay for years because he watches Disney movies and doesn't like sports. Stereotypical reasoning, but it is nice that she didn't judge him for that.

Paul's mother got a friend to help her write a heartfelt letter to Paul. She talks about her life in South Korea, meeting Paul's father, and moving to America. Most of all, she talks about how much she wants to connect with Paul and be part of his life. From the letter we learn that Paul's father has died, and fairly recently, from the sounds of it. Admittedly, I had been wondering about that, since Paul's dad appears in the flashbacks, but not the present day. He was also from South Korea, but could speak English much more fluently than Paul's mother, so finding a job in America was much easier for him. His death is also a big part of why Paul's mother wants to connect with him, because they have to be there for each other during these trying times.

The letter Paul's mother wrote reminded me of several other stories I've read of Asian-American parents trying to connect with their kids. In particular, I was reminded of "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu. In fact, Ken has said that his inspiration for that story was becoming a new father, and trying to pass on his Chinese culture to his daughters. That, and imagining the generation gap that might ensue due to them being the children of an immigrant. I guess some experiences are universal no matter if you're the child of immigrants from South Korea, China, or anywhere else.

There's some more stuff that happens, but I've said enough. I gotta leave you guys with something to discover for yourselves. I kind of wish Moonface had lasted just a bit longer, because I love it so much. However, all things considered, I think it is exactly as long as it needs to be.

Well, there you have it. Moonface is great podcast about a young gay Korean-American man try to find his way in the world and bridge a cultural divide. I can't recommend it enough.

I think that's enough from me for now. I will see you guys next time.