This video is so helpful!

"I don't think I was chastised enough." - on your Guy Gavriel Kay 'omission' 🤣 In your previous video, I heard your hurt. Christmas 2022 was real rough on me. Holidays can be extra crushing under the weight of loss. I bet your work was especially busy. Hope 2024 has lots of love and great books. Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Talents is even better than Sower. I look forward to reading GGK and K.J. Parker (thanks too to Allen) waiting on my e-shelf. I added C.L. Polk (I did discontinue Dresden to get out of Harry's pervy head after Grave Peril) to Simon Jimenez on my wishlist. Thanks so much, Sarah! P.ippin is a fantastic name for a puppy. Tella (my inspiration and avatar)'s guiding, overflowing love has continued to be my companion and recourse through the darkness that come before. Cheers.

I haven't read Stephen King in decades, since Gerald's Game probably. Different Seasons does make an excellent (re)introduction to the master of horror. I'm disturbed, but definitely not disappointed. Apt Pupil is terrifying. Psychological horror (the scariest) at it's best. I might need a nightcap or a night light tonight.

Love this video because prose quality matters massively to me. In my opinion, the best fantasy prose I’ve ever read is by Marlon James in his books Black Leopard Red Wolf and Moon Witch Spider King. The words crackle with energy and just pop off the page. The voice is so intense and distinct. These books don’t read like written accounts; they feel like the narrator is beside you, telling you the tale - you can feel their spittle and smell their breath. But Marlon James has won the Booker Prize, so maybe this shouldn’t be surprising. Not many fantasy authors can put that on their resume. Other favorites of mine include Christopher Buehlman and Simon Jimenez. And most recently, I was deeply impressed by the prose in Gogmagog by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard. Wonderful stuff!

I've read half of the books you've mentioned and they are favorites of mine--so now I'm going to read the rest of your recommendations. Thank you.

The best series I've ever read 📚

You’ve got a great narrating voice

This Hobbit who wasn't tall enough to be fully in-frame has wonderful advice.

I hope all is well Sarah?

I had heard about this book when it first came out, wanted to read it but my life was too busy at the time. I never knew about the mini series, but just two weeks ago, I started seeing clips on my feed. I ordered both the video and the book. Watched the series, and loved it, just started reading the book, and watching book reviews. Your review is by far my favorite. Thank you, for your intelligent, insightful review. I'm subscribing to your channel, and look forward to hearing of other recommendations. Thanks so much.

How might you rate books like those of David Lindsay's, ie DEVIL'S TOR, THE HAUNTED WOMAN, A VOYAGE TO ARCTURUS etc? I am trying to get my head around what people who are into fantasy reading actually define as "fantasy" per se. I mention Homer elsewhere, as well as borderline (to me) sf-fantasy like Bulwer-Lytton's works. Dante, Poe, etc. Lindsay's books, to me, are very pure fantasy, of a deeply archetypal nature, and certainly aren't as easy to categorize as, say, the Oz books, or fairly tales.

Do you consider the works of authors like Bulwer-Lytton and/or Butler to be fantasy (or fantasy -adjacent)? So much blurring of the occult and imaginary worlds seem truly in the fantasy realm to me, since the science is mostly designed around the books' needs to further their ideas, ie are a kind of magical construct/inventions of the imagination as opposed to true scientific prognosis. Thoughts? Thanks for the video.

My favorite trilogy! Reading the hole thing for the second time. I'm on the spine of the world.....the sellswards is also amazing.

Great vlog. Captures what we all went through. The title "changes" truly under-sells the level of change. Great book.

Watching this more than a year after release, but such is KZbin. I took a look at what I've read this year, and I'm running ~17% 5-star reads, and that's including rereads. Given that there is an inherent selection bias (I don't read books I don't think I will like, obviously, and I don't reread books that I didn't like a lot), I think that means I'm fairly chary in my ratings. But then, my ratings are mostly for me. I have a problem of seeing a book with a good blurb and buying it, even when I didn't necessarily like the last book from the same author that also had a good blurb. And I read a lot of books, so it's easy to forget that I really liked a series while I'm going through other stuff. When I'm binge-buying books, I now try to look through my old ratings and reviews so that I can remember just what I thought the last time I read that author or series. The result is that anything other than a rating that is an honest representation of my experience is actively harmful to me. Doesn't mean that I give a really fair rating every time, but it does help.

Bhai you have too many advertisements in between…

Nice review. I've read this book three times. I know that sounds excessive but I just loved it that much. On that date I was a freshman in high school and I felt transported back to one of my favorite times that was also one of my most difficult times. The only King novel that I could not get more than a third of the way through was Under the Dome. Just too difficult for me. My favorite shorter story was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordan. Thank you for your reviews!

Hello, I just subscribed...love your review of this book. I haven't read any GGK books yet but I own this one and plan to read it as my first GGK novel. Probably will read Lions of Al Rassan after that followed by A Song for Arbonne. I've heard nothing but great things about all 3. And eventually, I have to start Malazan...My TBR is WAY too big and is always getting bigger. Thanks and happy reading!

I just finished reading 11/22/63 cover to cover and its a good one folks for those who have not read it I will not spoil it but its got some twists in it I did not see coming

17:15 I never considered that Molly could be adopting stray warlocks. I love that!

Any SOTC video planned? I see new books in the background 😊

I love this reaction. I just finished it myself and I have so friends who would understand to share the trauma. The Aftermath short story in sidejobs is great too!

I was fascinated with her pronunciation of “Rothfuss.”

Sarah, that Sanderson novella about pancakes is honestly so unbelievably cringe and unfunny, you'd *hate* it.

I know this is a year old but hearing your reaction to Murphy's death brought tears to my eyes again listening to it through your words.

what happened to the channel ?

Jim Butcher has also said repeatedly that he would want the Dresden adaptation to be animated for basically the same reasons as you, so it's not quite as unlikely as you think.

What is the best place to start with John Gwynne yathink? Cheers.

There’s an Arthurian series by an Australian author named M.K Hume. A trilogy of Merlin books that put him into even more of a realistic light, and its sequel trilogy simply called the King Arthur trilogy. The Merlin trilogy is my favourite.

No background music and a critical appreciation with depth. Thank you.

How's the reading going, Sarah?

Appreciate this. Thank you

Brent Weeks is DOPE.

One day I may read GGK...but it is not this day. Hope you enjoy!

Love this review!! I just posted my own for Red Country (my first KZbin video ever!) Let me know what you think! Keep up the great work! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5K7dYp_ndZqotksi=h9WXh_fT9vIm6VjX

A lot to keep you busy there. Hope you enjoy them. Best wishes.

The sarantine mosaic is so good, I hope you love it. And I just read the curse of chalion and it was amazing 😊

Arcanum Unbounded is really good and The Emperor’s Soul is the best story in there, hope you love it!

Excited for you to read Curse of Chalion! One of the first books I read when I was getting back into reading fantasy

Oooooh super fun that you are doing this again!! I am excited to hear that Empire of Black and Gold has started off strong, especially because I have that as a priority series for this year! And I hope you enjoy all the other picks, I feel like they set you up for a great month. Can't wait for the liveshow already 🤩🤩

You need to read Swan Song ASAP,it's a masterpiece,maybe the best book I've ever read,it was my Book of the Year last year. Although it's long,you don't feel,you fly through it.

This does not sound like a no pressure TBR.😂😂 I might have missed the post about books we want you to read... did i assign you one? 😅 if not i have one in mind...or two.

«The Sarantine Mosaic» is amazing! I belong to those weird people who prefer «Sailing to Sarantium» over «Lord of Emperors» (the prologue alone could have been my favorite short story ever!), infact «Sailing to Sarantium» was my favorite read of 2022! If I am to justify my preference, I found Crispin’s journey both physically and mentally in that novel very uplifting!

The Emporer's Soul is good. Some people think it's the best thing Sanderson has ever written. I don't know if I would go that far, but it was good. I really want to read Shadows of the Apt. I'm currently reading the Dagger and Coin series by Daniel Abraham, on book 4 of the Lady Trent memoirs, trying to finish the last two Age of Madness books, and also trying to get through Dungeon Crawler Carl. So, I have no time for Shadows of the Apt at this time.

Great choices! Emperor’s Soul is my favorite of BS’s novellas! It’s considered a prequel to Elantris. ♥️

Tchaikovsky, Hobb and GGK rule, Sanderson drools 🤪 I'm also reading Ship of Destiny and i love it. Almost halfway!

I'll be reading 'The Curse of Chalion' this month also, looking forward to it after Jake's hype for it. I'll be interested to see how much you like 'Sailing to Sarantium', it is an amazing book.

So excited!! And yes we shall definitely convene for a chat 😊

Awesome plans Sarah! Emperors Soul is a Cosmere book, but it’s completely standalone. I loved the books of Earthsea, so I’m hoping to branch out and read her sci-fi works.

The Curse of Chalion is fantastic! My sister forced me read it years ago and no regrets for falling for her book bullying, haha. It looks like you have an excellent February TBR