Continuing to bring new guests to the podcast, Rizuki and I connect after following each other for quite some time on social media. I'm a fan of the work she does in the realm of Cosplay, and she is one of the co-hosts of Eternal Mooncast.

We start off our conversation with none other than the one named Sailor Moon. From how Rizuki used to watch it in the mornings while getting ready for school, to the various iterations of the show that she's watched (along with the dialogue/story choices that had been made!). We talk about her favorites series, her favorite Sailor Scout, and the longevity of the franchise in the world of anime and Cosplay.

Rizuki and I then switch gears to talking about video games. We cover a lot of ground with video games. From talking about her love of the Pokemon franchise, to JRPG's like Skies of Arcadia, and her deep obsession with Sonic the Hedgehog. Rizuki is down for Sonic in all versions and all generations of video game console. We also talk about how games hook her, how she can get fixated on games, and what games she's looking forward to in 2026.

Then, we get to Cosplay. Rizuki talks about how she first got interested in Cosplay. We talk about the Play in Cosplay, and how having fun is important to remember. She talks about some of her favorite cosplays she's done, her goal to do all the Sailor fuku's, and what she's working on for this year with some larger group collaborations. We also talk about Eternal Mooncast, the Sailor Moon live stream / podcast that you can catch, where she and her other co-hosts discuss all the Sailor Moon you could want, and have guests on as well!

You can find Rizuki at:

https://www.instagram.com/rizuki

https://www.threads.com/@rizuki

https://www.twitch.tv/rizukiii

https://www.facebook.com/rizukicosplay

https://www.rizuki.net/

You can find Eternal Mooncast at:

https://www.instagram.com/eternalmooncast/

https://www.twitch.tv/eternalmooncast

https://www.youtube.com/@EternalMooncast

New York Times best-selling author Don Martin joins me on the podcast for a wonderful episode full of laughs, learning, and beautiful words.

We kick things off by talking about his podcast, Head on Fire. Don talks about how and why he started it, and what you can expect to find by listening or watching his episodes. He interviews experts in overlooked fields, searching for answers to life's biggest and smallest questions.

From there, we talk about some of his early fandom influences. From the X-Men, to a focus on the Animorphs series by Katherine Applegate. We discuss how his time spent with family in West Virginia and the history and stories that come out of Appalachia formed the foundations for his future work.

Don then talks about how he started writing poetry when he was 10-12. Under the guidance of his uncle as his poetry & writing mentor, Don continued to develop and hone his craft. If you haven't found a poet you like, Don says you just haven't found the right one and recommends a number of poets and poetry to read. Link are at the end of the show notes.

Then we talk about Don's novel, Verity Vox and The Curse of Foxfire. As mentioned previously, Don talks about how the idea for the novel started with a real town and story in West Virginia. From there, Verity Vox can be described as Kiki's Delivery Service meets Old Gods of Appalachia. We talk spoiler free about the book, and Don talks about how he infused the book's town and characters with his personal history with West Virginia and the family that resides there. We also talk about what's coming next for his work, and some projects that we hinted at are out now, including Hexes and Heroes.

You can find Don at:

https://bydonmartin.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bydonmartin/

https://www.threads.com/@bydonmartin

Verity Vox and The Curse of Foxfire - https://amzn.to/4qf4FNL

Don Martin's catalog on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3M1hixS

You can find Hexes and Heroes at:

https://www.youtube.com/@hexesnheroes

You can find Head on Fire Podcast at:

https://www.youtube.com/@HeadOnFirePod

Don's Poetry Recommendations Include:

Clint Smith - Above Ground - https://amzn.to/4t6Tvgx

Andrea Gibson - Lord of the Butterflies - https://amzn.to/3NPX62t

Franny Choi - https://amzn.to/3Ogjzps

Maggie Smith - Good Bones - https://amzn.to/49RmPjI

Maggie Smith - The Well Speaks Of Its Own Poison - https://amzn.to/3M1gmJS

Staceyann Chin - https://amzn.to/49YGVak

Beau Sia - https://amzn.to/4ann5qN

Taylor Mali - https://amzn.to/4ann5qN

Saul Williams - https://amzn.to/4ar4OsD

Danez Smith - https://amzn.to/3NRul5G

Morgan Parker - Other People's Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night - https://amzn.to/4kcF0DX

Maya Popa - Wound Is the Origin of Wonder - https://amzn.to/3LPgj3Q

After 5+ years, Lexi aka LexiChuChu on IG returns to the podcast! Lexi's been busy over on their side of the country and we finally had the stars (and schedules) align for their return!

We get to catch up a bit before we dive into the realm of Video Games. We kick things off by talking about Hades. Lexi has put in a lot of hours with that game and you'll find out how many hours they've got, plus their favorite weapons for dear ol Zagreus. Plus, we discuss Hades 2 and the different mechanics and gameplay from Hades. Lexi also talks about a game category that we have determined to call Catharsis Games. No, they're not the cozy games you're used to hearing about. Lexi talks about what games are in her catharsis game category and what draws them to those particular games.

From there, we're venturing back into Tabletop Roleplaying Games. In Lexi's first episode, this was a topic we had talked about. Now here we are with even more to say. Lexi talks about the multiple Dungeons and Dragons games they play and/or DM in, along with other TTRPG's like Pathfinder, Coyote and Crow, and more. We discuss the gameplay at the table versus online, the storylines that have been created, and the TTRPG systems they'd love to try in the future (here's looking at you, Blades in the Dark!)

We then come full circle with more Cosplay. Lexi talks about the past 5 years and what they've been doing in that space, and getting back into building/crafting some cosplay pieces for competition this year. We talk about what they're working on and even more ideas for the future. We also talk about Cosplay Judging, as Lexi has judged for several competitions. We talk about what it's like having seams looked at, techniques being judged, and how to be a good competitor (in skill and respect for others) in cosplay competitions.

You can find Lexi at:

https://www.instagram.com/lexichuchu/

You can listen to Lexi's first episode here:

https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-194-lexichu-cosplay-talks-mmorpgs-book-recommendations-ttrpgs-and-cosplay

We return to Australia after many a year as Darvily joins me for this episode! I had stumbled across her on Threads and loved the fandoms she was into, and we get to jump into a few of them for this episode.

Darvily and I kick things off with talking about the broad topic of video games. We talk about the first games that she experienced, starting with Spyro. We focus on a few games that Darvily specifically was into over the years, including Animal Crossing, Pokemon, and Skyrim. Darvily also talks about some of her favorite indie games that she likes and recommends. Want the recommendations? Listen!

From video games, we make our way into the realm of Fantasy Fandom. We talk about Darvily's love of How To Train Your Dragon, books like Lord of the Rings, Fourth Wing, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, to name a few. We also bundle in talk about Renfaires in Australia, as well as Darvily's experience with Dungeons and Dragons.

We then wrap up with a conversation about Cosplay. Darvily talks about getting into Cosplay, along with some of the character she does. From Spider suits to Renfaire looks, Sailor Umbreon, and more. We talk about how she decides and chooses her looks and what she's working on for this year.

You can find Darvily at:

https://www.instagram.com/darvilyyy/

https://linktr.ee/darvily

https://www.tiktok.com/@darvilyy

https://www.twitch.tv/darvily

https://www.youtube.com/@darvilyy

I stumbled across Stacy on Threads back in early 2025 when she posted about who she was hoping the algorithim would bring to her account. I followed Stacy for awhile and then realized "I bet she has an Instagram page" and followed her work there too. One of my favorite things about Stacy is that she wants to build and engage with those who do follow her on her platforms. I love that, and it's one of the things I enjoyed as I got to know her.

This episode is split in half! The first half we're talking about Fantasy and Romantasy books. Stacy talks about what she looks for in a book, and what she's drawn to in the Romantasy sphere. We cover a number of different books including Cruel Prince, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and more. Stacy's full list of recommended titles is at the bottom of the show notes including links to purchase!

The second half of the episode features Stacy talking about what she creates! From her fantasy inspired costumes to the photography that goes along with it - including great behind the scenes stories on some of her iconic shots from her instagram. Stacy gives us the inside scoop and I am absolutely here for it. We also talk about renaissance faires and fantasy balls, including Stacy's upcoming appearance at FrostFire Ball by Storybook Soirees (link in the notes for ticket info!)

Books that Stacy recommended are:

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - https://amzn.to/3LkH4gd

A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas - https://amzn.to/4qNzFoG

Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas - https://amzn.to/454cG0d

The Assassin's Blade novella by Sarah J. Maas - https://amzn.to/3LumYQH

The Rogue King by Abigail Owen - https://amzn.to/4svVQS5

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - https://amzn.to/4sz7UC1

Quicksilver by Callie Hart - https://amzn.to/4jxcX1C

You can find more info about FrostFire Ball at: https://www.storybooksoirees.com/frostfire-ball

You can find Stacy at:

https://www.instagram.com/stacylkellam/

https://www.threads.com/@stacylkellam

https://www.tiktok.com/@stacylkellam

https://linktr.ee/stacylkellam

As 2025 ended, I kept stumbling across this really wonderful reels on Instagram that kept going into the lore of The Lord of the Rings fandom. After being shown these several times and being captivated, I followed Kaia on Instagram. After a little bit more, I knew I wanted to have her as a guest and delve into Middle Earth lore.

Kaia and I talk about everything The Lord of the Rings that we can fit into one non-extended edition podcast episode! From how she got interested in this fandom to start with, to how she continued her journey and where it has taken her today.

We cover everything. From The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, to The Silmarillion. From the animated movies to the Peter Jackson trilogy, The Hobbit movies, Rings of Power TV series, and War of the Rohirrim.

And yes, we talk about Tom Bombadil, The Eagles (not the band), Viggo Mortensen breaking his toe, and sadly, the toxic side of the fandom.

This is a great time to learn about The Lord of the Rings, dive into some deeper lore like an audio version of Wikipedia, and learn about what challenge I'm taking in 2026 when it comes to this fandom.

You can find Kaia at:

https://www.instagram.com/kaiakayy/

https://www.tiktok.com/@kaiakays

https://www.youtube.com/@kaiakayy

https://www.threads.com/@kaiakayy

https://substack.com/@measse

https://linktr.ee/kaiakay

Lola Valentine of Winx Forever Podcast joins me for the final episode of 2025! We're talking all about the Winx Club Fandom!

This is a first for the podcast, as I knew nothing about the Winx Club show(s) and movies and only had knowledge via people who cosplayed certain characters. Lola is gracious and gives me (and you listening) a great background into Winx Club, which started in 2004!

Lola talks about the original Winx Club series, a 4Kids production back in 2004. We talk about how Lola was definitely the target audience for the show, and how she learned about it back then. We talk about its origins in Italy, being brought to the US, and the 4Kids Dub vs future dubs. We get an overview of the story, the characters, and what kept Lola coming back to the fandom.

We talk about the shows, the movies, the live action series on Netflix, and the newest Winx Club iteration, Winx Club: The Magic is Back.

Lola also talks about the origin of her podcast, Winx Forever Podcast. We talk about how she got started, what people can expect from it, and what the podcast has meant for her and the Winx Club fandom in general.

You can find Lola and the Winx Club Forever Podcast at:

https://www.winxforeverpodcast.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/WinxForeverNews

https://www.instagram.com/winxforeverpodcast/

https://open.spotify.com/show/5zf5Do3T1hy6wgNE6nKmVf?si=67c3430b674e4338

https://discord.gg/VPCZUYqhMJ

Twitch streamer and fellow Hyrule Gaming Group member Byuka returns to the podcast as we talk about the world wide release of the Umamusume: Pretty Derby game.

After nearly a year and a half, Byuka comes back to the podcast as we talk about an app/game that has taken over our lives. Japanese horse girl racing game, Umamusume: Pretty Derby, released world wide earlier this year. A game that has been in Asia for several years, Umamusume providers the player a chance to train and race their favorite horse girl over the course of a 3 year period.

What will you train? Speed? Wit? Will you give them recreation time? How often will you let them rest? And what skills will your horsegirl obtain in the course of their career? It's highly deep in strategy, frustrating with the RNG at times, and has deep lore for each character - and each character being based on a real horse that exists (or existed).

We go over a lot of what we love about the game, the lore and history, how we play, plus tips and tricks!

Go check out Umamusume: Pretty Derby, and send me your trainer code so we can be friends!

Check out this website for game information!

https://gametora.com/umamusume/training-event-helper

You can find Byuka at:

https://www.twitch.tv/byuka

You can listen to Byuka's previous episode at:

https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-366-byuka-talks-final-fantasy-world-building-video-games-twich-streaming-and-vtubing