Long Game: a Heated Rivalry Podcast

Declan and Silvan are joined by author Dorian Ravenscroft to talk about their debut novel, The White North Has Thy Bones, a queer Victorian Gothic horror story involving a doomed Arctic expedition, unreliable narrators, morally questionable characters and more than a few ghosts.Dorian takes us behind the scenes of the novel, from its unlikely beginnings after watching The Terror to the rather chaotic process of plotting a story in which nobody can quite be trusted to tell the truth. We also discover how much of the horror was inspired by real historical events.We talk about queer representation in historical fiction, why queer characters shouldn't always have to be likeable or morally exemplary, and how shame, class and masculinity shape the lives of Dorian's wonderfully complicated characters. We also get into the fascinating question of whether every character really needs a redemption arc.One of the most thought-provoking moments comes when Dorian reveals the deeper inspiration behind the novel, their experience working at the Old Bailey and the uncomfortable questions it raised about our fascination with true crime. When does telling someone else's story become exploitation? And who has the right to turn another person's trauma into entertainment?There's  some questionable childhood reading choices, Victorian fashion scandals, a possible collaboration with Taylor Swift, and Dorian's excitement about the novel's four-narrator audiobook.We also get a sneak peek at Dorian's next book, which sounds every bit as dark and unsettling as their debut.The White North Has Thy Bones was released on 22 October 2026 and is available in print and audiobook formats.Long Game Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkJoin our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCCFind us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.podWrite to us: [email protected] Declan: Instagram: declan712Tiktok: declanmccallion1Find Silvan:Instagram: SilvatesTiktok: silvates1Listen to the Podcast on:Apple podcast: Spotify: Amazon podcast: Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/JJShSwYSCOYListen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Long Game Podcast00:17 Dorian Ravenscroft's Debut Book Inspiration02:22 Childhood Reading Influences05:33 Synopsis of 'White North'07:37 The Unreliable Narrator09:52 Creating a Historical World12:52 Researching Historical Fiction16:40 Pitching to Publishers18:28 Character Development and Morality23:15 The Thrill of Book Launches23:15 Exploring Gender and Sexuality in Literature27:22 Queerness and Historical Context29:17 Character Development and Redemption Arcs35:14 Crafting Mystery and Pacing in Storytelling40:53 Character Perspectives and Author Intentions48:37 Crafting Historical Prose52:29 Fashion as Storytelling in Historical Fiction54:19 The Journey of a Debut Novel01:00:14 Ethics of True Crime and Storytelling01:05:09 Teasing the Next Project

Declan is back for Part 2 of our Common Goal discussion, and is joined by Brittany from the Long Game Book Club to finish unpacking Rachel Reid's fourth Game Changers novel.This time, we're asking some bigger questions, like does the age gap between Eric and Kyle really matter? Why is Eric so emotionally self-aware but so terrible at communicating? And did Common Goal miss an opportunity to explore the realities of retiring from professional hockey and coming out later in life?Brittany  makes a surprisingly convincing case for changing the reading order of the entire series. Should Common Goal actually come before Tough Guy?Things get a little competitive as we put our favourite Game Changers couples head-to-head. From chemistry and emotional intelligence to grand romantic gestures and long-term compatibility, we're ranking Shane and Ilya, Scott and Kip, Ryan and Fabian, and, of course, Eric and Kyle. Some couples come out looking considerably better than others. Join the conversation in our Long Game Book Club on Fable, and check out our Patreon for early access, exclusive newsletters and more.As a note, we will be moving our scheduled weekly drops to every 2 weeks. This is to give us more time to balance editing and recording with life stuff so that we can keep the quality high. Thanks for your understanding. Long Game Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkJoin our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCCFind us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.podWrite to us: [email protected] Declan: Instagram: declan712Tiktok: declanmccallion1Find Silvan:Instagram: SilvatesTiktok: silvates1Listen to the Podcast on:Apple podcast: Spotify Amazon podcast: Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/DjZ4LJQrWwYListen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697

Declan is joined by Kirsty from the Book Hashira as we move on to Common Goal, the fourth instalment in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. This is one of the most divisive books.In Part One, we dive into Eric and Kyle’s relationship and ask whether their romance really feels like a happily-ever-after, or whether “happy for now” might be a better fit. We explore the book’s significant age gap, Eric’s anxieties about retirement and getting older, and whether the story misses an opportunity to dig deeper into what leaving professional hockey might mean for someone whose life has revolved around the sport.We also unpack Kyle’s lingering feelings for Kip, his difficult past and the unresolved questions surrounding what happened to him at 18. We discuss if Common Goalgives Kyle enough space to work through his own story, and if we are we actually convinced that he wants Eric more than he ever wanted Kip?There’s plenty of discussion about third-act breakups, miscommunication, the evolution of Rachel Reid’s writing across the series, why alot of poeple love Role Model and how Ilya continues his unofficial second career as the Game Changers resident lurker, matchmaker and dispenser of unsolicited relationship advice.Find Kirsty:Instagram: thebookhashira_Long Game Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkJoin our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCCFind us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.podWrite to us: [email protected] Declan: Instagram: declan712Tiktok: declanmccallion1Find Silvan:Instagram: SilvatesTiktok: silvates1Listen to the Podcast on:Apple podcast: Spotify Amazon podcast: Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/VrffkZ_Eix0Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697hashtaChapters00:00 Introduction to Common Goal and the Game Changer Series02:19 Character Development and Themes in Common Goal05:08 Comparative Analysis of the Game Changer Series08:18 Standout Characters and Their Arcs10:22 The Complexity of Eric's Character13:06 The Third Act Breakup and Its Implications14:36 Realism in Age Gap Romance18:45 Power Dynamics in Age Gap Relationships21:45 The Impact of Past Trauma on Characters26:29 Unresolved Themes and Character Arcs34:06 Character Development and Unresolved Threads38:30 The Impact of Miscommunication in Relationships42:37 Retirement and Its Emotional Toll48:06 Unrequited Love as a Plot Device54:33 Character Arcs and Redemption Themes

Silvan is joined by actor and musician Justin Stanek for a conversation about acting, music, Next Door and the reality of pursuing a creative career in Los Angeles.Justin takes us back to where it all began, from community theatre and an unexpected first commercial to packing up his life and moving across the country to LA. He opens up about the less glamorous side of being a working actor: endless auditions, day jobs, rejection, last-minute bookings and learning to confidently say, “I’m an actor.”Of course, we have to talked about River, his character from the Next Door. Justin shares the story of almost playing a completely different character in Next Door, his chemistry read with Nick, developing River with director Caroline Plyler, and why those lingering looks at Kit were absolutely intentional. We also get into the rapidly growing world of vertical filmmaking, what Justin thinks the format gets right, and wrong, and why he believes verticals aren't going anywhere. We discuss Justin's love for music. We dive into musical theatre, songwriting, finding confidence in his own voice, his love of beautifully sad music, his dream of releasing original material and the musician he'd love to play in a biopic. Plus: Ben Platt, Rachel Zegler, The Last Five Years, Waitress, Phoebe Bridgers, a potentially lost Tori Kelly Vine and our campaign to get Caroline to make a boy-band movie.This was such a fun conversation about taking chances, finding your people and figuring out what kind of artist, and person, you want to be.The next episode of the Long Game podcast will be released on Sunday 27th September 2026.Find Justin:Instagram: justin_stanekTikTok: _jutty_Long Game Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkJoin our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCCFind us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.podWrite to us: [email protected] Declan: Instagram: declan712Tiktok: declanmccallion1Find Silvan:Instagram: SilvatesTiktok: silvates1Listen to the Podcast on:Apple podcast: Spotify podcast: Amazon podcast: Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/g0NBXcO3wdYListen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697Chapters00:00 Introduction to Justin Stanek02:10 The Journey into Acting05:03 Transitioning to LA Life08:02 Family Support and Relationships11:04 The Reality of Being an Actor14:15 Auditioning and Resilience17:04 Booking Roles and Project Selection19:39 Behind the Scenes of Next Door36:44 Exploring Vertical Filmmaking40:28 Collaboration with Caroline and New Projects44:23 Character Development in Next Door53:11 The Impact of Vertical Filmmaking on the Industry57:34 Navigating Social Media as an Actor01:07:35 The Intersection of Music and Acting01:10:46 Musical Theatre Memories01:14:49 The Art of Songwriting01:18:09 Musical Inspirations and Influences01:24:33 Future Roles and Aspirations01:30:23 Connecting with the Audience

Declan is joined with Jenn from The Book Refuge for Part 2 of our deep dive into Tough Guy by Rachel Reid. This time, we’re putting Ryan and Fabian to the ultimate test and discussing how they actually compare to Shane and Ilya?Declan and Jenn go head-to-head across everything that makes a romance work, including chemistry, emotional intelligence, romantic gestures, sex, conflict resolution and, ultimately, whether these couples are built for the long game.We get into why Tough Guy feels so different from Heated Rivalry, how Rachel Reid moves queerness away from being the central conflict, and why Ryan’s anxiety creates a very different kind of obstacle to love. We also unpack Fabian’s patience and occasional impulsiveness, Ryan’s quiet romantic streak, and why the intimacy between them might be one of the most important parts of their story.We discuss Shane and Ilya and which is the romatic one. Why are they so terrible at resolving conflict? And just how much of their relationship is actually communicated through sex?We have ratings, disagreements and Jenn may change Declan’s mind.The next episode of the Long Game podcast will be released on Sunday 27th September 2026.Find Jenn:Instagram: thebookrefuge18Youtube: TheBookRefugePatreon: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fthebookrefuge%3Futm_campaign%3Dcreatorshare_creator&e=AUDcHdy3h2tYt5j5YUAD8Re3PXU1crwrEij1q-82r98fN984taClIYwUaMLBoe1PQnXUsfy1kbJQXvs4wTt0GnLYX0NObFyxW6nlNS1UcBO3-FyOMD1ZLVw6643uo0WL8EueRlFiJe3shYKbywOur Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkJoin our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCCFind us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.podWrite to us: [email protected] Declan: Instagram: declan712Tiktok: declanmccallion1Find Silvan:Instagram: SilvatesTiktok: silvates1Listen to the Podcast on:Apple podcast: Spotify podcast: Amazon podcast: Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/_rI4UEwRiR8Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697