Fantasy Fangirls June Newsletter

Author

Lexi Ayala
June 27, 2024

Welcome welcome welcome

… to the Fantasy Fangirls June newsletter!

And in the blink of an eye, we’re almost done with our A Court of Mist and Fury deep dive — it has been SO much fun discussing one of our all-time favorite books and we hope you’ve loved being part of this emotional journey. Now… who’s ready for war and more world-building?! (Lexi sure is!) But first, the Spring Court again 😅

A Court of Wings and Ruin isn’t the only thing we’re getting ready for! Next week, we’re off to Portland, OR for our very first convention, LeakyCon. Being part of this event is truly a dream come true for us because it was the first fantasy con we learned about six years ago, when our favorite content creators and celebrities from Game of Thrones and Harry Potter were featured guests. We were like, “A con like this exists?!” We even wanted to go this year to rep Fantasy Fangirls, but honestly, we thought we’d never get picked. To our absolute surprise, LeakyCon reached out to us and extended an invitation — we were floored that they knew we existed and are beyond grateful that wow, a dream we had years ago is coming true in a way we never imagined.

It’ll also be our first live show — and on the Main Stage at the Oregon Convention Center, no less! If you’re in attendance, don’t mind us if we cry when taking it all in… 9 months of FFG and this journey still feels so surreal. We can’t wait for this live multi-day event where we get to interact with fans, nerd out with everyone, hang out together as a team (Lexi and Hayden are meeting for the first time!), and try to keep our cool around the celebrities. Oh, and eat really good food because it’s Portland and Lexi misses her old stomping grounds.

As always, thank you for being part of this community — FFG wouldn’t be what it is without you, and we appreciate you oh so very much.

July Schedule

  • July 1: ACOMAF Episode 11, Chapters 61-69

  • July 5-7: LeakyCon! See the schedule here

  • July 8: ACOWAR Episode 1, Prologue-Chapter 8

  • July 13 @ 3pm ET: Fantasy Fangirls Live Q&A w/ L+N’s Husbands *Patreon

  • July 15: ACOWAR Episode 2, Chapters 9-14

  • July 20 @ 3pm ET: ACOMAF Trivia *Patreon

  • July 22: ACOWAR Episode 3, Chapters 15-21

  • July 25: Bonus Episode, Burn of the Everflame Theories & Predictions

  • July 26 @ 7pm ET: Book Club for Assistant to the Villain w/ Author Hannah Maehrer *Patreon

  • July 29: ACOWAR Episode 4, Chapters 22-28

Upcoming Live Events

  • July 5-7, 2024: Podcast partner at Leaky Con in Portland, OR, including a live show. Get 10% off tickets with promo FANTASY here! (Patreon gets 15% off here)

  • Aug 16-17, 2024: Media & podcast partner at the Dragon Gauntlet in Boyne Falls, MI, including an FFG live show. Get tickets here! (Patreon has a special promo code!)

  • Dec 31, 2024: Influencer partner at The Drop NYE Party in Denver, CO. Get tickets here!

  • Feb 20-22, 2025: Media & podcast partner for Romantasy BookCon in Los Angeles, CA, including an FFG live show. Get tickets here!

What We’re Up To

LEXI Currently….

Reading: Just finished my first Fourth Wing reread since our Fall 2023 deep dive and going straight into Iron Flame. Prepping for our LeakyCon live show and some other Empyrean content!

Theorizing: On that note, because our LeakyCon live show is all about Empyrean fan theories… that’s exactly where my head is these days.

Drinking: Kirkland Sauvignon Blanc with too many ice cubes. Easy summer drinkin’!

Listening to: Disney soundtracks with the kids. “Hawaiian Rollercoaster” is the current favorite.

Watching: House of the Dragon, I’m almost done watching Season 1 and can FINALLY join in the hype around Season 2.

Celebrating: The end of our ACOMAF deep dive and start of ACOWAR! It’s always so exciting when we move into a new book (even if it’s in the same series).

Looking forward to: LeakyCon! This is our first fantasy con and we are honored to be part of it. It’ll be amazing to meet so many fans and to be back in Portland where I used to live!

NICOLE Currently….

Reading: My reading is pure chaos right now. I’m halfway through Queen of Shadows with my husband, halfway through CC2, and I just started Iron Flame again. Plus I’m reading The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde right now for my fun read! How am I keeping track of all these storylines? 7/10 scientists are still trying to figure it out.

Theorizing: All things Empyrean. Going back to the Empyrean world has been SO fun and wow new theories are popping in my head every day!

Drinking: Anything with guava juice in it - specifically highpoint tropical ciders.

Listening to: The ACOWAR playlist! Especially the song Insane by Black Gryph0n

Watching: HOTD!!! I’m so happy to be back in Westeros!!

Celebrating: My husband and I just celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary with a trip to Glenwood Hot Springs! It was so lovely to get away and celebrate our favorite year of our relationship to date.

Looking forward to: LeakyCon! This is not only our first convention, but it’s our first live show, it’s the first time our small team is getting together in person and we are SO excited to meet fans!

Small Business Spotlight

Shining the spotlight on a bookish small business every month!

Rising Phoenix Creations

Beth of Rising Phoenix Creations is a resin artist that spreads good vibes while creating custom trays, cheeseboards, tumblers, jewelry, and home decor. She enjoys doing live resin pours on TikTok to encourage audiences to embrace the chaos of creativity.

Use discount code FFG for 5% off!

Fantasy Books to Read

Looking for your next fantasy book to read? Step away from the mainstream and check out these books written or recommended by FFG community members. Nicole and Lexi cannot promise we’ve personally read these books (yet).

The Musician and the Monster

By Megan Van Dyke

A gothic romantasy that is Beauty and the Beast meets the Phantom of the Opera in a Bridgerton-esque setting (with magic, of course!)

The Mad King and the False Queen

By Hope Abrom & Amanda Abrom

A princess and assassin swap places in a marriage to a foreign king when the princess discovers she has magic that could threaten her claim to the throne.

Touch of Frost

By Jennifer Estep

The series is about a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids who learn about Greek mythology and ancient Gods. They accidentally get thrown into a fight between gods and try to save the world of a second Chaos War.

Queen of Blood

By Sarah Beth Durst

Nature spirits hate humans and must be kept in check by the Queen. But the Queen dies and a new one must train at a secret academy to replace her.

Fantasy Fangirls Resources

Recent Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors for helping us bring these episodes to you! Click the link for Fantasy Fangirls discount access.

  • AG1: Get a free year of Vitamin D3K2 plus 5 AG1 packs

  • Apostrophe: First visit for $5 with code FF

  • BetterHelp: 10% off your first month

  • Blissy: Extra 30% off with code FFGPOD

  • Chime: Open a Chime credit card

  • Claritin: Get Claritin Clear at your local store

  • Earth Breeze: 40% off your subscription

  • Factor: 50% off first box plus 20% off next month with code fantasyfangirl50

  • LMNT: Free sample pack with any purchase 

  • MeUndies: 20% off your first order plus free shipping 

  • Miracle Made: Extra 20% off and 3 free towels with code FF

  • Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns

  • Shopify: Sign up for $1 month trial

  • That Nerd Thing Podcast: Listen wherever you go for podcasts!

  • ZocDoc: Download the app for FREE to find and book a doctor

Trivia Time!

Which sister is forced into the Cauldron first?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Talk to you soon!

Nicole and Lexi