Hi, I'm Amanda

I love romantasy books and making dumb jokes. Join me on Youtube, and let's chat about book recommendations, trope breakdowns, pattern recognition, book recaps, and our unreasonable amount of feelings for fictional men.

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Every Romantasy Name Breaks My Brain (Here's Why)

I've read a lot of romantasy books and can pronounce maybe twelve of the names. So I reverse-engineered the formula authors use to build them. From Paedyn in Powerless to Anthemoessa in In the Veins of the Drowning to the Scottish Gaelic dragon names in Fourth Wing. I'm breaking down exactly how romantasy authors turn a normal name like "Peyton" into an unpronounceable fantasy behemoth, how they share with Greek mythology and the Celts, and the long-name-plus-nickname trick. And I run my own name (Amanda) through the machine, making me instantly more fantastical ✨ 🔔 New romantasy videos every week! Subscribe so you don't miss the next one! ❤️ If you're into romantasy, I've got book recaps, trope comedy, name mispronunciations, and book reviews on this channel! 📚 Books Mentioned: - Powerless by Lauren Roberts - A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J Maas - Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider - In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy - A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas - The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen - A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 🎨 Fan Art: - Violet riding Tairn with Andarna: https://www.instagram.com/violetheavenart/ 📖 CHAPTERS 00:00 - I can't pronounce a single romantasy name 00:35 - Start with a normal name 02:38 - Make Amanda fantastical 03:14 - Give them a nickname 04:35 - Use names from the Greeks 06:18 - Use names from the Celts 07:42 - Fantasy names are better than reality 🎥 WATCH NEXT ▶ I Mispronounced ACOTAR Names Like This: https://youtube.com/shorts/skomzoMbEXo?feature=share ▶ One Dark Window names that broke my brain: https://youtube.com/shorts/4QfwNT4z7uI?feature=share ▶ POV: You've been saying Serpent and the Wings of Night names wrong: https://youtube.com/shorts/HsMBze9HqvA?feature=share #romantasy #booktube #fantasybooks

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The Selection's Unaired Pilot Is So Bad, I Couldn't Stop Laughing (2012)

I watched The Selection's unaired CW pilot, and it was somehow worse than you're imagining. Kiera Cass's dystopian romance book adaptation deserved better than... whatever this was. 💀📺 The CW tried adapting The Selection TWICE. Two pilots. Both failed. This is the first one that never saw daylight, and honestly, that's for the best. I'm breaking down every baffling plot change, the dialogue that made me wheeze, and why this would've been the messiest Bachelor season in history. 📚 If you somehow missed the book: The Selection by Kiera Cass is a young adult dystopian series where 35 girls compete to marry a prince in a caste-ridden future America. It's peak 2010s YA chaos and I genuinely love it. Which made watching this pilot hurt even more. 🔔 More failed book adaptations and romantasy breakdowns on my channel. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one! 📖 CHAPTERS 00:00 - The Selection by Kiera Cass holds a special place in my heart 01:18 - Watch it with me! 19:44 - Oof, I hated it 🎥 WATCH NEXT These Impossibly Built Romantasy Men Have Me Asking Questions - https://youtu.be/88yORQ34rNo Every Book Boyfriend Has Wings, and I Have Questions - https://youtu.be/x39WyZfQVTg Ranking 37 Popular Romantasy Books & You Will Hate Me - https://youtu.be/0wkp4EBrqTI #theselection #romantasy #booktube #yafantasy

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Arcana Academy Recap & Summary... But Make It Fun

Arcana Academy recap and full book summary with spoilers. Everything you need to remember from Elise Kova's Arcana Academy book 1 before reading Prince of Swords (book 2, out July 21st). Let's grab our tarot decks and revisit the past before reading our future ✨. ⚠ SPOILER WARNING: This video contains full spoilers. If you haven't read it, this video will ruin everything. You've been warned. Prince of Swords releases July 21, 2026. Consider this your pre-game. 🗣️ What's your favorite part about the tarot magic? Tell me in the comments! 🔔 Subscribe for more romantasy recaps, comedy, and opinions nobody asked for but I need to get out. 🎨 Art From Video 1. Clara - Art by dianadworak (https://www.instagram.com/dianadworak/) 2. Kaelis - Art by dimasardhika (https://www.instagram.com/dimasardhika) 📖 Chapters 00:00 Let's recap Arcana Academy 00:16 The World 01:37 Meet Clara 02:22 The Deal 03:30 The Academy 04:49 Wheel of Fortune 05:58 The Romance 07:51 Arina 08:22 The Final Trial 09:14 The Feast of Cups 11:38 Get pumped for Prince of Swords! #arcanaacademy #princeofswords #elisekova #romantasy #bookrecap

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In the Veins of the Drowning Recap & Summary... But Make It Fun (Before In the Wake of the Ruined)

Need a recap of In the Veins of the Drowning before In the Wake of the Ruined drops July 7? Here's your full spoiler recap & summary of Kalie Cassidy's siren romantasy in under 10 minutes. Read In the Veins of the Drowning months ago (or never quite got to it) and don't have time to reread before book two? This recap walks through the entire plot of The Siren Mage book 1: Imogen and Theo's blood bond, the gods of Leucosia, the nekgya, Eusia, the prophecy, and that brutal final twist, with a few laughs along the way. Consider it your In the Veins of the Drowning ending explained, start to finish. ⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: This is a complete, beginning-to-end recap. If you haven't read In the Veins of the Drowning yet and want to go in fresh, save this for afterward! 🗣️ What are your predictions for In The Wake of the Ruined? Let me know in the comments! 🔔 New here? I make comedy romantasy recaps, trope breakdowns, and reviews for people who love this genre as much as I do. Subscribe so you're caught up before every big sequel drop! 🎨 Art from video: 1. Map from Kalie Cassidy's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaliecassidybooks/ 2. Imogen portrait: https://www.instagram.com/mossillustra 3. Theo portrait: https://www.instagram.com/palinlineart/ 4. Imogen and Theo bond: https://www.instagram.com/cludi_a_/ 5. Imogen and Theo in the water: https://www.instagram.com/mossillustra ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:12 The World of Leucosia 01:18 Meet Imogen 01:57 Enter Theo 03:18 The Marriage(s) 04:55 The Mage Seer & The Prophecy 05:33 The Climax 07:47 What's coming in In the Wake of the Ruined? #romantasy #booktube #InTheVeinsOfTheDrowning #KalieCassidy #TheSirenMage

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Light Wielder Was Good. Metal Slinger Was Better. (Spoilers!)

I just finished Light Wielder by Rachel Schneider, the sequel to Metal Slinger, and my feelings are... complicated. The enemies-AND-lovers dynamic is some of the best yearning I've read in romantasy. But for a book called Light Wielder, we barely see Jovie wield any light, and that's not the only thing holding it back from matching book 1. Full spoiler review and report card inside. ⚠️ FULL SPOILERS for both Metal Slinger and Light Wielder 🔗 Links 🗡️ Metal Slinger Recap - https://youtu.be/GoPa0BaRGco 📝 Report Card Tool - https://amandalanston.com/tools/romantasy-report-card 📖 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:26 What this book gets right: the emotional realism 02:01 The romance: yearning, violence, and a rushed ending 05:32 Characters: Messer is still the MVP 07:07 What didn't work: the title problem 12:09 Report card: how it compares to Metal Slinger 13:44 Book 3 theories 🖊️ Report Card Categories: 📚 World Building 💕 Romance 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Character Development 📖 Plot ⏱️ Pacing ✨ Originality What grade would you give Light Wielder? Drop your report card in the comments! 🔔 New videos every week. Subscribe for more book recaps, trope breakdowns, and book reviews! 🎥 Like this video? Check out more book content on my channel! - Grading 3 Romantasy Books: One Got an A+, One Barely Passed - https://youtu.be/goWM_tEHROc - Why Does Every Romantasy Man Have Wings?? - https://youtu.be/x39WyZfQVTg - Read The Raven Scholar. That's a Court Order. (Spoiler Free) - https://youtu.be/qR4YqGRb66o #lightwielder #metalslinger #romantasy #booktube #bookreview #booktok

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How to Read More Books (Even If You're a Slow Reader) 📚🎧

How do you read more books when you work full time and have a life? In this video, I share my exact reading system that helps me finish 30+ books a year... even as a slow reader with a full-time job. The secret? Switching between ebooks and audiobooks throughout the day. I'll walk you through my daily reading routine, the apps and tools I use (including a free audiobook trick you might not know about), and the mindset shifts that keep me reading consistently. My Reading Toolkit: 📱 Kindle app - free, keeps your book on your phone at all times 📚 Kindle Unlimited - e-book subscription 📖 Libby app - free ebooks and audiobooks from your local library 🎧 Spotify Premium - includes 15 hours of audiobooks per month 📖 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:19 Pair e-book with audiobook 01:42 Add reading in your daily routine 04:59 Read multiple books at same time 05:44 Allow yourself to DNF 06:43 Subscribe for more romantasy content! 📚 Books I'm Currently Reading: 1. Light Wielder by Rachel Schneider 2. In The Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy 3. Tempests & Tea Leaves by Rachel Morgan 🔔 New videos every week. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one! ❤️ If you're into romantasy, I've got recaps, trope breakdowns, and book reviews on this channel! 🎥 Like this video? Check out more book content on my channel! - When The Moon Hatched Recap... But Make It Fun - https://youtu.be/CqCQYoRzbO4 - Metal Slinger Recap… But Make It Fun - https://youtu.be/GoPa0BaRGco - 3 Book Boyfriend Behaviors That Would Get Them Arrested - https://youtu.be/DraiG05-U4g #readmore #readingtips #howtoreadmorebooks #romantasy #booktube #booktok

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ACOTAR vs Fourth Wing: Which Romantasy Series Fits Your Vibe? 🤷🏼‍♀️

New to romantasy? This video helps you decide whether to read "A Court of Thorns and Roses" or "Fourth Wing" first, as both are popular gateway romance books. While they both introduce you to the genre, they offer distinct experiences. We'll explore which fantasy books might suit your reading style better, all with absolutely no spoilers! 🔔 Subscribe for new videos every week. And if you're brand new to romantasy, I have more beginners guide videos coming soon! 📖 We compare: 0:00 Intro 00:31 Is your vibe dragons or fae courts? 01:51 Do you need a fast paced plot? 03:01 Would you prefer a smart or survivor heroine? 04:04 Want a fast burn romance or slow burn romance? 05:24 What is your preferred spice level? 06:06 How many books do you want to read? 07:07 ACOTAR is required reading though 08:05 Outro 📚 Books mentioned: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas #romantasy #fourthwing #acotar #booktube #booktok #whattoread #bookcomparison

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