A Dragon, a Girl, and a Ball | Diving into The Poisoned King

This episode marks the official start of our chapter-by-chapter journey through The Poisoned King—our first full reading episode of Season 1!We’re back on the bench for pages 1–52, where Christopher returns to the Archipelago, we meet a new character Anya (and her very special birds), and the story leaves us on a cliffhanger at the royal ball.We talk about how Christopher has changed since Impossible Creatures, what life might feel like for Anya as she moves from the forest to the castle, and who might really be behind the poisoning of her grandfather.We also share a listener’s favorite reading spot (keep sending yours in!), and celebrate a milestone—75 downloads! Help us reach 100 next week by sharing this podcast with a friend.Next Reading: Pages 53–108 (Rage through Freshwater Spring). You can download the full reading schedule at ourbookbench.com.Wherever you are, pull up a seat—let’s read together.📚 Join the adventure at ourbookbench.com💌 Email us at [email protected]📷 Follow along on Instagram: @ourbookbench