If Giles were evil, he’d be a shadow daddy.

Yes, Giles, the librarian from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Definitely a shadow daddy in an alternate universe.

Oh, anyway. Hi everyone! Your favorite ladies for hot literary takes are back!

Thank you all for bearing with us so far in this crazy year. We really appreciate you.

Meanwhile, you can check out our transcripts, follow us, and support us wherever you scroll: https://linktr.ee/inksinkpodcast

Note: This episode contains some cursing. Annie may or may not have some tricks up her sleeve.

Now, back to the more important point. Give us your favorite shadow daddies! Message us on Facebook or Instagram. Or email us at [email protected]. We’ll read the best ones on the show.

News links

• Listen to the Graphic Audio version of Fourth Wing here: https://www.graphicaudio.net/the-empyrean-1-fourth-wing-1-of-2.html
• The Poynter Report is a good source for what’s going on in news news. Here’s their breakdown of the Bezos/Washington Post drama: https://mailchi.mp/poynter/is-bezoss-new-mission-for-the-post-already-bombing?e=e5489eccb5
• A podcaster translates an ancient Roman history book and puts it on the bestseller list: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/24/book-sex-scandals-roman-emperors-bestseller-charts-the-lives-of-the-caesars-tom-holland
• See more of The Rest is History, a podcast from historian Tom Holland, in their Suetonius series: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/emperors-of-rome-sex-secrets-of-the-caesars-part-1/id1537788786?i=1000685187106
• And check out Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics and her episode on Suetonius for some funny history, too: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000czlf
• Insensitive dialogue in a highly anticipated book ends with a cancellation: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/books/sophie-lark-sparrow-vine-bloom-books-cancelled.html
• For more on ARCs and why they matter, check out our episode on an ARC we got from our forever fave, Chuck Tingle: https://theinksink.substack.com/i/135909146/loving-chuck-tingle-is-our-favorite-thing-to-do
• And for more from our perennially relevant episode on problematic authors, you can check out the transcript here: https://theinksink.substack.com/p/return-of-the-problematic-authors
• Now, time to celebrate historically marginalized peoples killin it in publishing! Specifically: Clarion celebrates funding its trans writers workshop: https://www.clarionwest.org/2025/01/27/announcing-a-scholarship-for-trans-writers/

You can also look at all the books we talked about on our bookshop page:

• Dungeon Crawler Carl (Matt Dinniman): This series is so good, Kali’s husband bought it all because he couldn’t wait for her to come home and give him the copies she already had. https://bookshop.org/a/55633/9780593820247
• Shadow and Bone (Leigh Bardugo): Read the book that inspired the Shadow Daddy GIFs. https://bookshop.org/a/55633/9781250027436
• The Lives of the Caesars (Suetonius and Tom Holland): Gossip rags WISH they were as cool as this. https://bookshop.org/a/55633/9780143107705
• The Last Sun (K. D. Edwards): A fallen prince finds himself in an Uncharted-style treasure hunting story. https://bookshop.org/a/55633/9781633884236
• Bury Your Gays (Chuck Tingle): A Hollywood writer faces red tape, surveillance, and horrors while his aro-ace bestie is too fabulous for this world. https://bookshop.org/a/55633/9781250874665

Disclaimer: If you buy a book from one of our links, we may get a commission. But more importantly, Bookshop.Org gives back to independent bookstores with every purchase. Check them out now!

00:00 Intro

06:47 What is a “Shadow Daddy”?

13:38 News: WaPo and the White House are making it weird out here

26:26 Somehow, Suetonius has returned

31:41 Sophie Lark gets cancelled

38:15 Celebrating trans authors with Clarion

39:35 Kali is reading “The Last Sun” by K.D. Edwards

41:43 Annie is reading “Bury Your Gays” by Chuck Tingle

45:32 Kali Coda: You can always walk away