Through The Wind Door

Beyond the Wind Door - Realm of Kings, and interview With M.L. Star

One of the best books of 2025 now has Volume 2 available in paperback! To celebrate, I sat down for an interview with it's author to discuss its creation, themes, characters, and musical intersection. Some spoilers for Volume 1, but we try to be coy about developments in Vol 2 and beyond! Also available in full in e-book format!

Vol 2 Paperback: https://a.co/d/0jfxMtYn

Cover and inside are by Dasha Belokrylova:

@dashabelokrylova and @dashabelokrylova.ink on Instagram!

Intro is "Light Me Up" by Audiorezout of Free Music Archive

Other musical tracks used:

"Opening Theme - Fellowship Of The Ring" - Howard Shore
"Simon (Instrumental) - Lifehouse
"Level of Concern" - 21 Pilots
"Montero (Bardcore Version)" - Original by Lil Nas X, cover by Stan Tough
"I Want To Come Over (Instrumental) - Melissa Etheridge
"Take Me To Church" original by Hozier, instrumental by Brooklyn Duo
"In Your Eyes" - original by Peter Gabriel, cover by Vitamin String Quartet
"Christian Brothers" - Elliot Smith
"Blasphemous Rumors" - Original by Depeche mode, cover by 
"Twilight" - David Gray
"Twilight" - Antony and the Johnsons
"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears for Fears, cover from Bioshock Infinite
"Army of Me"  - Bjork
"Fire and Rain" - Original by James Taylor, instrumental by Kelly Valleau
"Televators" - Original by The Mars Volta, instrumental by Nilesh Badola
"Unholy (Instrumental)" - Sam Smith
"Witch by the Sea" - Darren Curtis
"Wonderland (Instrumental) - Caravan Palace
"Kings Crossing " Original by Elliot Smith, piano cover by Heavypiano
"The Sky is Falling" - Queens of the Stone Age
"Magic Forest", "Scheming Weasel", "Babylon" - Kevin Macleod
"Danse Macabre (Instrumental)" - Original by Ghost, cover by Hector Garcia
 'Water Runs Dry" - original by Boyz II Men, guitar cover by Acoustic Lounge
"It's So Hard To Say Goodbye to Yesterday" - original by Boyz II Men, cello cover by Helen Newby
"How Not To Drown (Instrumenal)" -CHVRCHES
"Subdivisions (Instrumental)"- Rush
"Wishing Well" - original by Bob Mould, instrumental cover by Mathew Savard
"Valse sur une berceuse anglaise" - Fernando Velasquez
"Love Me Harder" - Ariana Grande

Outro is "Deus in Absentia" by Ghost

 

Princess Thieves - Part 10 (Chapters 24-28)

And there we are. The final four chapters. The story concludes. Do we get a happy ending? or is it just happy enough?

Miracle of Sound Music Video: https://youtu.be/peVzdtm4iZ4

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

The Fireside Alliance Podcast Network: 

https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

Intro is "Facing Fears" by Beat Mechanik

Other tracks:

"Warmth and Respect", "Leaves Dancing"- Wanderstop OST
"Five Armies", "Dangerous", "Private Reflection", "Babylon", "Shores of Avalon", "Heavy Heart", "Anguish", "Gaslamp Funworks", "Truth in Stones"- Kevin MacLeod
"Letting Go", "To Forgive or Kill - Bear McCreary
"Main Theme", "Warlock Combat" - XCom 2 OST
"How Can I Heal" - David Julyan
"The Scientist (Instrumental) - Original by Coldplay, cover by Brooklyn Duo
"Knights of Guenivere - Main Theme" by Aaron Olson and Leland Cox
"Come Home","Foundation" -  The Newton Brothers
"All Star" - Smash Mouth
"Outro" by Evgeny Teilor and "Moonrise" by Chad Crouch

Also, multiple tracks from the Princess Thieves OST.

Outro is "London Town 2026" by Miracle of Sound

Princess Thieves - Part 9 (Chapters 20-23)

Originally recorded in October of 2025, finally we are finishing our work with Season 6, and the third act of The Princess Thieves. Today we cover Chapters 20-23... and a little extra besides.

Be warned after the 2 hour mark: the glass shards of Kaleidoscope might be cutting... at least emotionally.

The New Century Multiverse Website:

https://www.newcenturymultiverse.com

The New Century Multiverse Podcast Feed:

https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

The Fireside Alliance Podcast Network: 

https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

Intro is "Facing Fears" by Beat Mechanik

Other tracks include:

"Wounded", "Scheming Weasel","Private Reflection", "Resignation","Despair and Triumph","Shores of Avalon", "Vision of Persistence", "Long Road Ahead","The Dread","Promises to Keep"- Kevin MacLeod
"Family Ties" - Telltale's The Walking Dead OST
"Olympus "  - Ross Bugden
"Evil Eye" -Hades 2 OST
"Let Me Sleep" - David Julyan
"The Way It Is" originial by Bruce Hornsby, cover by Uwe Karcher
"Miss Claire Remembers" - Enya
"True Greatness" - Bjorn Lynne
"Outro" by Evgeny Teilor and "Moonrise" by Chad Crouch

Also, multiple tracks from the Princess Thieves OST.

Miles to Go, Before I Sleep - On Stories: Music as Narrative

I don't write essays about controversy in culture in media. But this essay will cover the use of music as a component of storytelling in other media, and therefore uses the 2026 videogame Mixtape as a starting point. Also covered are the games The Artful Escape (2021) and Unbeatable (2025), with light discussion regarding story and themes, as a part of a greater revelation.

Tracks include:

"Babylon" "Thunder Dreams" - Kevin Mcleod
"Atmosphere (Instrumental)" - Joy Division
"Watermark", "Miss Claire Remembers" - Enya
"Dreamers" - Ruth Radelet
"Dare" - Stan Bush
"The Mountain" - Gorillaz
"Heliotrommz Theme" - Johnny Galvatron
"Roads" - Portishead
"Bookend (Opening)" , "fragments from a forgotten sampler", "nothing. something, and everything" - Clara Maddux and Vasily Nikolaev
"King of Pain (instrumental) - Original by The Police, Cover by Jenny Floor

Outro is "This Is My Song!' by Carbon Leaf

Miles to Go, Before I Sleep - The Final Princess Thieves Essay

My struggle to put into words the frustratingly long journey of covering New Century's Princess Thieves.

Tracks include:

"Magic Forest, "Private Reflection", "Heart of Nowhere" ,"Babylon". "Wounded" "Sovereign" "Despair and Triumph", "Resignation", "Perspectives", and "Thunder Dreams" by Kevin Macleod

"Arrival" by I Sazanov.

Miles To Go, Before I Sleep - Letting Go of the West Wing

My final words on the influence of a show that made me put many pennies in the jar.

Tracks include:

"Magical Forest", "Clean Soul", and "Babylon" by Kevin McLeod

"Make Your Decision" by Dan Phillipson

Select tracks from The West Wing OST, by Snuffy Walden.

Beyond the Wind Door - Best Media of 2025, Part 4

Good lord! After all this time, we finally discuss Greg's top 12 games of 2025, and we go on for almost 2 hours with no spoilers! Today, I do my best to sell folks on the following games:

• A Space for the Unbound
• Neo Cab
• Metaphor: Refantazio
• If Found
• Date Everything
• Tchia
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Herdling
• Chants of Sennar
• Wanderstop
• Thirsty Suitors

Stay safe in 2026. To survival.

The Fireside Alliance Podcast Network: 

https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

Intro is "Light Me Up" by Audiorezout of Free Music Archive

Other Music includes:

Select tracks from all the OSTs of the games above, but also, "Miss Claire Remembers" by Enya, and the orchestral Finale of "The Last Jedi".

Outro is "Objects of Desire" by NSP

Beyond the Wind Door - Best Media of 2025, Part 3

The remaining notable movies Toby and I watched in 2025, plus one gaming experience I did not expect. This episode will have us discuss the following (With no spoilers, save for where noted in the episode):

• K-PoP Demon Hunters
• The Roses
• Wake Up Dead Man
• Searching for Sugarman
• Sinners
• James Gunn's Superman 
• Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

The Fireside Alliance Podcast Network: 

https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

Intro is "Light Me Up" by Audiorezout of Free Music Archive

Other Music includes:

Select tracks from the OSTs of K-Pop Demon Hunters, Wake Up Dead Man, Sinners, Superman (2025), and The Roses
"Happy Together (Instrumental)" - Original by the Turtles, cover by The Piano Guys
"I'll Show You" - K/DA
"Sugar Man" "Climb Up On My Music" - Sixto Rodriguez
"Promises to Keep", and "Resignation"- Kevin McLeod
"Apologize" - The Las Vegas

Outro is "Rise" by Sarah McLahclan

Beyond the Wind Door - Best Media of 2025, Part 2

Tv shows and movies, new and old! And we're not even done! Here's more of the good shit that got me and Toby through 2025. We cover:

• The Residence
• Orphan Black
• Hazbin Hotel Season 2
• The Fall of the House of Usher
• Long Story Short
• Thunderbolts
• GDT's Frankenstein
• A segment of Wolfman (2025)
• Final Destination: Bloodlines

Uzo Aduba - Hannibal Lecter performance: https://youtu.be/QQvPqk-OEFU

The Fireside Alliance Podcast Network: 

https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

Intro is "Light Me Up" by Audiorezout of Free Music Archive

Other music includes:

"Synthetic Warmth" - Amos Roddy
"King of Pain" - original by The Police, piano cover by Jenny Floor
"Despair and Triumph", "Vanishing", and "Ossuary"- Kevin MacLeod
"The Obvious Child" - Paul Simon
Selected tracks from the OSTs of The Residence, Thunderbolts, Frankenstein 2025 and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Outro is "Hell Again" by Ironmouse

Beyond the Wind Door - Best Media of 2025, Part 1

The best way to deal with the turmoil of 2026 is to look back on the stuff that got us through 2025! In this Episode we discuss:

Games:

Rift of the Necrodancer
Final Fantasy tactics - Ivalice Chronicles
Hades 2
Deltarune Chapters 3+4
Citizen Sleeper 2

Comics:

Walter Simonson's Thor
Saga
Danger and Other Unknown Risks 
The Deep Dark

TV:

King of the Hill
Game Changer and the many shows of Dropout.tv

The Fireside Alliance Podcast Network: 

https://firesidealliance.squarespace.com/

Intro is "Light Me Up" by Audiorezout of Free Music Archive

Other music includes:

Select tracks from the OSTs of Rift of the Necrodancer, Final Fantasy Tactics, Hades 2, Deltarune, and Citizen Sleeper 2

"Martian Cowboy, "Thunderbird, "Run Amok"- Kevin McLeod
"Fire" - Alexandra Desplat
"IDK" - Grey
"Dreamers (Instrumental)" - Ruth Radelet
"Baker Street (Instrumental) - Gerry Rafferty