10 Most Underrated AND Underhyped Fantasy Books!

[@ryhmetravila8085]

This might be my favorite of all of your background setups so far

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! I will keep it this way!! :)

[@arsenijedjordjevic4205]

True

[@ernstbrehm1135]

YES!!! Keep this background👍🏼

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I love the bookshelves! As for star ratings on Goodreads, I personally don’t think a high rating there correlates to quality but rather to popularity - not necessarily the same thing. Thank you for bringing attention to these great reads, Petrik!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you, Philip! No doubt that more star ratings mean more popularity, but I think star ratings on Goodreads matters, too. It's a bit complicated to explain here, but one example, The Will of the Many by James Islington beloved by MANY who read it. But it's definitely still far from being the most popular books out there with less than 5,000 ratings. There are other examples, of course, but yes I'll say it depends on the situation and the book. :)

[@Aigra]

Also, not all of the 5 star ratings on goodreads are actually genuine. And I do include reviewers in this who did not actually get paid to review but just got a free copy. Because studies show that free products do lead to better reviews on average. Which makes sense, because the money you paid for a product does play a role - at least subconsciously - when judging the quality. There's a reason for the "Fourth Wing" hype ...

[@PetrikLeo]

@@Aigra I really don't believe in that conception of free review copy = better rating. I've been giving a 1 star-3 stars rating to review copy I get for years, assuming I manage to finish them. Now, a review copy might lead to more polite wording in the review despite the negative feelings, but the rating stays the same. Obviously, I'm just speaking from my perspective. But most of the time, there's no winning for reviewers sometimes. Just one out of many examples here, I gave 1.5 stars to a review copy of The Fall of Babel (I know the author, too, it doesn't make me happy to do that) and people told me I am a walking negative propaganda. A hater. A betrayer. Or whatever else. But IF I give a 5 stars rating to a book, the accusation that I get paid (which literally never happened otherwise I would be richer by now) will be thrown out.

[@Aigra]

@@PetrikLeo You've got a good point and I have to admit that the studies I saw were not about books specifically (they were looking at the free product review program Amazon has - Vine? I think that's what's it's called). But when I see a crazy amount of 5 star ratings for a book before it is even released and only after the release are there critical reviews at all I'm wondering what's going on. Especially when it's not a book in a popular series that gets 5 stars by default from all the fans. I just don't see how this could have happened without a big marketing strategy behind it, you know?

[@kadenhall8869]

New background looks great! I always appreciate that you have self published books in frame. I have a picked up a few self pub books from seeing them on your shelves 🙂

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! I read about 60-40 trad pub/self-pub now. It wouldn't be right for me to not feature any self-pub books. There are so many awesome ones! :)

[@Gwyndon]

The Forgetting Moon is such a good series definitely recommend 😊

[@PetrikLeo]

I completely agree!

[@lewj8]

The Stone Knife was amazing, and The Jaguar Path was even better the character work is amazing! I cannot wait for the third book.

[@PetrikLeo]

Aaaa I need to get around to reading The Jaguar Path! Great to hear it's even better! :)

[@danielchapman6032]

Great video and fantastic topic. I have grown so tired of "Booktube" because it only talks about the same books and authors over and over again. I love to see things like this. I have found a guy who read obscure sci-fe/fan writers from the past. So you have earned a share on my limited social media.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! I try to always read more. Mainly also because I myself get bored if I only talk about a few authors and series I love repeatedly. :D

[@mikesbookreviews]

I liked the Anna Stephens trilogy I read, so I need to get Stone Knife on my TBR. Paternus is in my 2024 plans. Can't wait. Dyrk is such a nice guy. More love for Five Warrior Angels always gets a high five from me. Never Die was a ton of fun. I should be able to get to McLean next year. I've heard they're quick reads. I bought those Barker books when you reviewed them on Goodreads but have yet to give them a go.

[@PetrikLeo]

I think you will love Stone Knife! I'll say, if you haven't started the series yet, might as well for it to be completed first. But yes so much for Paternus and Peter McLean. Their series are incredible and both are so criminally underrated! :)

[@cipriansirbu3699]

I love the bookshelves.I used to be jealous of your copies of The Bound and the Broken series but I own them also now,still,those Dandelion Dynasty sprayed edges from The Broken Binding are gorgeous,my favourite of everything they have done so far.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! Yeah, Dandelion Dynasty Broken Binding edition is stunning. I believe this one also put Broken Binding into the eyes of bigger audience back then! 😁

[@ZOMGfantasy]

The Stone Knife and Scourge of the Betrayer seem right up my alley! Thanks Petrick 😁

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Stone Knife for ongoing series. Scourge for completed series!

[@yremogtnomnad]

Great list! I haven't heard of almost any of these. Also, as far as under hyped/rated fantasy books go, Engines of Empire by R.S. Ford is INCREDIBLE and isn't getting nearly enough attention! I can't recommend it enough.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! Engines of Empire is on my radar! I heard the 3rd book is near completion. Once it has a release date, I'll start reading it. Might as well wait now that it's almost the end!

[@kittyshiv]

never die is SO good!! with it being a shorter book it has everything to keep you engaged and with an epic ending, definitely underrated. love this vid!! some of these didnt even know about, thanks! 🥰

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you very much, Kit!! Yeah, Mortal Techniques deserves more readership and recognition imo. All the three books out in the series so far have been pretty damn good! :)

[@juliasjournals3415]

It’s So good to have a new video from Petrik when feeling down. Noting more books down on my TBR lol🎉 I recently really want to try high fantasy or epic fantasy that are more complicated and this just comes in time! BTW great background !😊

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Julia! And it's always great to have a comment from you! :)

[@claytonhomer3096]

Even before you mentioned it I was getting ready to type Priest of Bones. It's so good! I will also throw out The Wolf by Leo Carew it's 3.8 stars and only 3100 ratings. Criminally underrated. I recently read and enjoyed Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker so I will have to give Age of Assassins a try. Thanks for the recommendations.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Glad you loved Priest of Bones! I still need to get around to The Wolf and Gods of the Wyrdwood! :D

[@Shaad2321]

Great list Petrik! I have read all of these books! I loved Paternus, the forgetting moon,neve die, priest of bones, age of assassins, the dragon one chair! I don’t remember much about the stone knife and I couldn’t get into scourge of the betrayer!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! Woohoo! You read them all! Glad to hear you enjoyed many of them! :)

[@fantasticalreads]

I started The Forgetting Moon from your recommendation. Loving it so far 😊

[@PetrikLeo]

Wonderful! It's a great series. The next books are better!

[@fantasticalreads]

@@PetrikLeo so I’ve heard!! Very excited to read the trilogy. Thanks for your insightful reviews and recommendations!

[@cryingdemon]

I just finished Brian Lee durfees five warrior angel trilogy over the weekend. Phenomenal, and so criminally underrated!

[@PetrikLeo]

That long battle in Lonesome Crown was INSANE.

[@cryingdemon]

@@PetrikLeo absolutely!! I was a huge fan of Enna Spades for some reason. It was established early that she was a brutal, savage warrior; but she had a code of honor i found intriguing. Her dynamic with Dobie Liddle through the series was interesting too.

[@Neo1275]

It's always nice to see you give some love to lesser known fantasy books / series. I wholeheartedly agree on both War for the Rose Throne and Age of Assassins. Cheers!

[@PetrikLeo]

Cheers! Haha, I'll say 50-50 of my reading are popular vs non-popular series. 😂

[@77thass]

Your review of Priest of Bones led me to download sample chapters from Amazon. I didn't even finish the sample before I bought the entire series of War for the Rose Throne, and I loved it. A number of the titles in this video are on my TBR. Thank you!

[@PetrikLeo]

That's wonderful! It's such a great series, and the 1st book imo is the weakest of the series. 😁 Glad you love War for the Rose Throne!

[@Magnoliafan13]

I actually recently read The Vagrant by Peter Newman. It had been on my shelf a long time, and one of those reasons was because it was rated under 4 in Goodread. But I ended rating it a 5, so I think it is a important issue you bring up.

[@PetrikLeo]

The Vagrant is another one that I still haven't read. And yeah, this is why it's important to not read books merely on how they are rated by other readers. :)

[@dinocollins720]

Another fantastic video!!! Thank you!!!

[@PetrikLeo]

Glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@kimerlyhogan6567]

Hi Petrik! I like this background best. It’s nice to see your wonderful books covering the wall behind you. 🙂

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! I plan to keep it this way for the foreseeable future! 😁

[@yassinemiri3555]

I made a lot of screens from this video : War for the rose throne, the forgetting moon, scourge of the betrayer. God it's a feast ! You speak to my heart my dude. And I said man, your recommendations never fail.

[@PetrikLeo]

That's awesome. I hope you will enjoy them all! :)

[@yassinemiri3555]

@@PetrikLeo I'll never be able to repay you for MJ Sullivan (Riyria Revelations Omnibus only, haven't read the rest but can't wait) and J Abercrombie (all 10 First Law books and the shattered sea trilogy, can't wait for the Devils) changed the way I think and the way I write. All thanks to your recommendations. Bless you Bruv. Keep up with the good work.

[@andrareads2285]

Thanks for the video Petrik! It definitely reminded me that I wanted to read some of these books for a loooong time😅

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Haha no worries, Andra. We have SO MANY books we need to get around to read!

[@robertthompson8305]

one of the best book tubers! 👏 Great and unique recommendations. Thank you!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Robert!! 😊

[@vivekkhimself]

I just watched your previous video on this topic yesterday, a good update on that. Thanks for throwing light on these books!

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching my previous video, too! :)

[@yanivrosenfeld-cohen7517]

A really diverse list here (even though I personally tried and didn't enjoy Williams). It just shows how well versed you are in the fantasy genre, both traditional and indie published. Well done!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! No worries about not liking Tad Williams's books. Many readers have agreed with you, too, so you're not alone on it. :)

[@RedFuryBooks]

The Five Warrior Angels series is going to be a priority series for me in 2024. I need to read Tad Williams, too. Thanks for the video!

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome, Josh! Thanks for watching, too. I sincerely hope you will enjoy reading The Five Warrior Angels and Tad Williams' books! :)

[@johnthebiker300]

Thanks for the video. Will put all of them on my reading list.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Glad the video is useful!

[@wesleydavis6488]

Dragonbone chair one of my favorite books ever!

[@PetrikLeo]

Same here!!! I'm almost done with To Green Angel Tower!

[@KristinKravesBooks]

A lot of these are new to me! Definitely adding The Stone Knife to my tbr. That sounds amazing!

[@PetrikLeo]

Woohoo! I think The Stone Knife is awesome! :)

[@anniecochrane3359]

Thank you Petrik - As always, when I've finished a series (in this case The stormlight archive which I loved), I look to see what you are recommending and take it from there. Always appreciate your reviews

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Stormlight Archive is a masterpiece. Glad you loved it, too!

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

Thank you. I'll be checking out some of these books now.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! I hope you'll like them!

[@Heathennation1976]

I'm so glad that somebody finally mentioned The Helm of Midnight I read this book a couple of months ago and it's badass it's fantasy horror aspects are pretty cool with the serial killer in all and I'm glad that somebody's finally mentioned the stone knife, scourge of the betrayer,these are all soild reads that you are right we definitely need more people to be reading these books I'm reading A Harvest of Ash and Blood by DJ Molles which is grimdark fantasy the main character Lochled is something else Great story quite intense at times not quite done with it, so far it's one of my top five this year got to see how he sticks The ending keep up the great videos and I'll keep watching

[@PetrikLeo]

Yeahhh! Glad to hear you've read and loved The Helm of Midnight. Ridiculous how underrated and underhyped this book is. I thought it was pretty creepy, tense, and terrifying. The same goes for The Stone Knife. I haven't heard of A Harvest of Ash and Blood before I think. I'll take a look!

[@Heathennation1976]

@PetrikLeo A Harvest of Ash and Blood,you might have heard of it it needs more eyes. The author usually does post-apocalyptic. This is his second try and fantasy, and it's great DJ Molles is a writer that gets better and better have you a wonderful day man

[@v1cr10us2]

Damn, Petrik loved the new background and the Red Rising Trilogy at the back.❤❤❤

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! About time I feature Red Rising Saga on my videos! :)

[@rimighosh5991]

I love the shelf, the new background is good 😍

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you, Rimi! Glad you like it! :)

[@d.r.s.maximus6239]

Loved the Bloodsounder's Arc trilogy. Good stuff!

[@d.r.s.maximus6239]

Also, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is my fave trilogy. So good.

[@PetrikLeo]

Yesss someone who has read it! Braylar and Arki are great!

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Love the new set up and background!!! What an awesome video, and since I’ve been following you for forever all these have been on my radar, but shame on me for not getting to any of them yet! I can’t wait to dig in, especially Five Warrior Angels I think is a series that is right up my alley 💪

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, brother! Hahaha no shame at all. I, too, haven't gotten around to several series you have read and loved! :D

[@esmayrosalyne]

Wow, I am so surprised that The Helm of Midnight is so underrated, I really enjoyed that one and need to read the sequel already! Had never heard of Jeff Salyards' books though, I am super curious now! Also, I need to read Five Warrior Angels already dammit! Great video, I love that you are always promoting all the hidden gems 🥰

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! That's you and me both on Marina Lostetter's fantasy series. If you can and have the time, give Jeff Salyards' books a try. They're incredibly underrated! :)

[@BookedandBusy]

I think the reason the stone knife has such a small readership is bc it wasn’t published in the us so you can only get it if you order it from the uk

[@PetrikLeo]

Good point, I didn't think of that! That and lack of promotion. I remember The Winnowing Flame trilogy by Jen Williams facing the same thing!

[@suzannemoore404]

Thanks for all the recommendations Petrik! Some interesting ideas.

[@PetrikLeo]

Cheers, Suzanne! 😊

[@TheBeeesKnees]

i really like this camera angle! maybe I'm biased because mother of learning is so prominent in the shot haha. great video 👏

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! Haha, once The Sword of Kaigen deluxe hardcover arrived, I think Mother of Learning can't face the front any longer. That said, I do like my setup right now! :)

[@TheBeeesKnees]

@@PetrikLeo very fair! that sword of kaigen edition is so lovely

[@muxx2810]

You couldn't have released a better video for me right now. I just finished what I was reading and needed a new recommendation lol

[@PetrikLeo]

Here's hoping the books here will click with you! :)

[@muxx2810]

@@PetrikLeo i just ordered the forgetting moon so we'll see lol

[@liamcs48]

Loved seeing all your books in the background!

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Thanks for the kind words!

[@almamolinari8055]

Hello Petrik 😊 As always, thank you for all that you do. Lastly, I'd like to share that I like this background.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! And thank you! 😁

[@jeffsalyards9968]

Thank you kindly for the shout out, Petrik. I truly appreciate the support.

[@jeffsalyards9968]

Also, my photo here is horribly out of date. Sheesh. Talk abut clinging desperately to your youth.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're so welcome, Jeff! Bloodsounder's Arc is incredible. And hey, my photo is out of date, too. We're the same. 😂

[@jeffsalyards9968]

@@PetrikLeo Glad I'm not alone!

[@BookishChas]

Great video Petrik! So many on here I need to read. I still haven’t finished the Paternus trilogy.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Chas! Paternus trilogy is great!! :)

[@DyrkAshton]

Whaa! Thank you Petrik!

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome, Dyrk!

[@MFDOOOOM]

New background is great ! I think front profile is a little too zoomed in maybe. Jealous of those books 😲

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! Haha i try to get in all the books into the frame. Until I have another bookshelf, this will have to do!

[@separator94]

Thank you, Petrik! Several of these are ones I have not read, so I immediately added them to me TBR list. Once I finish Empire of the Vampire I think I'll jump onto The Dragonbone Chair. By the way, Empire of the Vampire is excellent.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Empire of the Vampire is great overall. I struggled with the first half of it, but the second half is excellent. Looking forward to reading Empire of the Damned! :)

[@safinan8008]

Hi 👋 like you bookshelf, the background looks good! Thank you for a book list… happy reading to you! 🎉

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! Happy reading to you, too, Safina.

[@mikeandtaramitchell]

I like this background. Nice book collection.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you very much! 😁

[@MohamadSobh]

You got me excited for Never Die, found the bundle on Audible!

[@PetrikLeo]

Sooo fun and engaging. I hope you'll like it!

[@ryandberry1]

Hey Petrik! Great Video. I absolutely lovvved Mike Shackles The Last War trilogy. I was curious if you knew he started a new series under another name? It's a crime thriller series called the DI Simon Wise series by Michael Dylan (Shackle). I'm excited to check it out.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you, Ryan! The Last War is another underrated and underhyped series. Baffling how that series doesn't get read by many. I think I heard he's writing a new series under a pen name, I haven't checked it out yet, though. Let me know what you think about it when you do!

[@brokenredflag]

Gosh i love your vids. And yes, rob hayes is a genious!! His writing and stories are some of my favorets. Top 5 for me. Youve soxided(pardon my spanish) in temting me for the dragonbone chair. But i have to look for a preaty afordable vertion. Im gona look for that now. Love the delux one you got their. Take care. O yea! And underrated...Pella. from K.thiessen.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! No need to go for the premium Dragonbone Chair edition. The affordable one has all the words in the premium edition, too! :)

[@fjuran1]

Centered on the background, this is the best view. The Helm of Midnight is on my TBR, have to get on it. Have The Hand of the Sun King, but have held off, as you were down on Book 2. Durfee is soo underrated, this was a fantastic series. Have The Scourge of the Betrayer, and then I thought the author kind of disappeared. War and the Rose series, again I really enjoyed, almost 5 stars for me, I hope when I rated it, it brought up the average. It's a travesty that The Dragonbone Chair is rated so low. Just read the trilogy again, I it was better the second time around.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Frank! Yeah, Durfee is sooo underrated. And I'm about 65% through To Green Angel Tower right now. I have a feeling I'm going to love this series even more on reread! :)

[@bryanw8044]

Love the idea. I'll love to see more videos like this

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you very much, Bryan! :D

[@JJ-fz6pn]

I love your videos! Could you maybe make a recommendation video for books with redemption arcs? I absolutely love that trope but can never find recommendations.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! I will put that in my list of videos to make! 😊

[@JJ-fz6pn]

@@PetrikLeo you're amazing!

[@Michael_L_Morrison]

I agree with you about The Forgetting Moon, Never Die, and Priest of Bones, as I have read those. They are fantastic! And, Scourge of the Betrayer, has been on my TBR for a while. I didn't really care for The Dragonbone Chair.

[@PetrikLeo]

Awesome! Glad you agree on Forgetting Moon, Never Die, and Priest of Bones! :)

[@amy_harboredinpages8272]

Ohhh! I like seeing all the books! 👍this background. IMO... GR ratings are a personal thing. Fir me 3 🌟 is still a sign of a book that was enjoyed overall. I tend to avoid reading the GR reviews before reading the book. So many great books in this video.... so many possibilities..... 📚📚📚🤔

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Amy!! 😄

[@Alkemisti]

That's a good background: books, wood, colour.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! I'll keep it this way! 😁

[@timehouse9597]

Memory sorrow and thorn is a masterpiece of fantasy

[@PetrikLeo]

Hear hear!!!

[@madisonk7452]

Ruin of Kings is so underrated. My favorite book ever, which is some high praise coming from me. Not so much underhyped with 12k ratings on GoodReads, but considering the exception for The Dragonbone Chair, I think it still fits.

[@PetrikLeo]

I think for The Dragonbone Chair, it's just a series that has sparked many authors inspiration to their books, and many authors call the series as seminal work, but somehow it's just... relatively few people talked about his books. I've read Ruin of Kings and I thought it was good, but nothing amazing. I liked the sequel more, though. :)

[@Indigo_snakes]

Love the setup !!!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you!! :)

[@ronaldwatson3862]

ooohhhh - some more books for my tbr!

[@PetrikLeo]

As always!! :D

[@Thucydites]

Thanks again for such a great video! If you happen to read this, I have a question for you. With KZbinrs like Philip Chase and Daniel Greene starting to get pretty serious about their own writing, I’ve wondered if that’s ever been an interest for you personally (to write)?

[@PetrikLeo]

You're so welcome! And the short answer to that is yes, I am interested. That said, do not expect this to happen anytime soon. Busy schedule, and the biggest factor of them all, financial issues, definitely are the biggest determining factor on when I can pursue storytelling. :')

[@alanwarenski7827]

Loved Scourge, Helm, and Age of Assassins! A few I feel are under hyped: 1. Blood of an Exile by Brian Naslund. Loved that trilogy. 2. The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron. So much fun. 3. The Fifth Ward books by Dale Lucas. While not mind blowingly epic or amazing, they were each a fun, not overly complicated adventure.

[@PetrikLeo]

Great choices! I enjoyed Blood of an Exile. I haven't read the sequels, though. And I've read Heartstrikers by Rachel Aaron. Really loved that one and will have to reda Legend of Eli Monpress whenever it's possible. I haven't heard of The Fifth Ward, I'll take a look!

[@ryandberry1]

5 Warrior Angels series is AMAZING

[@PetrikLeo]

Hear hear!!

[@castoffcrown]

You should make this a series somehow. You could call it Hipster Petrik, to go with Salty Petrik hehe. Just kidding. But I really do love it when you talk about lesser-known and/or underrated books so I would of course welcome more. Keep up the great work!

[@PetrikLeo]

Hahahaha! Hipster Petrik is such a cool name. 🤣🤣 Regardless of making that a series name on the channel, I will definitely make more videos like this anyway. 😁

[@castoffcrown]

@@PetrikLeoGreat to hear!

[@sophhnavarro]

So many of these sound awesome, definitely added to my TBR :)

[@PetrikLeo]

Woohoo! I hope you will love them all! :D

[@paigeme886]

Thank you so incredibly much! I love hearing of under hyped & underrated books- it’s such a shame and loss! Definitely a few more books to add to my tbr 🙄😂. Edit: ok, for the life of me I can hardly remember it but I remember at the time I loved the book series is called the isles of Glory by Glenda Larke. I read the series at least 20 years ago. I’m sure I’ve never seen a review on KZbin about it ( I’m actually fairly new to ‘book tube’… only really started watching reviews etc the last 2 years? ) . Now I want to read them again to see how I feel about them, but I remember being quite engrossed with the first book which was given to me. I then had to purchase & read the rest to see how it ended . It has hardly any reviews on Goodreads … I wonder how I would feel about them now . From what I remember, it was a bit different to my usual reads at the time & different to what I read now ( I think!) . Have you ever heard of it? *currently reading re- reading Babel on audiobook this time and loving it again * and I loved the poppy war too

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you for watching! I actually haven't heard of The Isles of Glory by Glenda Larke before. Hopefully if you do read it again you will still love it as your first time! And yes, R.F. Kuang is awesome! :)

[@PreppinShootinLivin]

I like the new background!

[@PetrikLeo]

Yay! Thank you so much! :)

[@electra6821]

I love the Quillifer series by Walter Jon Williams. He's best known for his SciFi novels, but this foray into the fantasy genre is a great read. Set in an Elizabethan-style world, the young butcher's son, Quillifer, uses his wit, charm and courage to rise to the dangerous heights of society. But despite the best attempts of political rivals and malicious fairies to kill him, Quillifer rarely loses his good humor. If you're looking for a series with a lighter, swash-buckling tone, I think you will enjoy this one. Unfortunately, it hasn't gotten much love from readers. Partly, I think, because Quillifer seems like such a shallow cad for the first hundred pages or so of the first book, and a lot of people may not finish because of that. I know I almost didn't finish. But poor Quillifer soon gets put through the emotional wringer, and it's fair to say, the rest of the series from then on is basically about his character growth, and we can cheer for him all the way. Another problem for this series is that the author, while having a ton of Scifi novels published (trad publishd), this is his first fantasy. It may not appeal to his normal readers, and fantasy readers don't seem to have discovered it yet.

[@PetrikLeo]

I haven't heard of that series before! Seems like a fun read at the right time, though. I know what you mean regarding authors branching out into another genre. It's rare for them to succeed at the latter genre they're writing when they're different compared to their first breakout ones! :)

[@StephenAryan44]

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn remains one of the best fantasy series ever written, and it is one of the most influential, from George RR Martin to Sanderson to Rothfuss, all of them talk about Tad Williams and this series, with good reason. It had a huge impact on my work, and many others.

[@PetrikLeo]

Hear hear. It's an amazing series. I feel like modern fantasy readers should voice Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn more often. It's a series that has inspired and influenced so many authors writing these days, and yet it is rarely talked about now.

[@CD287-]

Richard Anderson is one of my fave cover artists 🐎

[@PetrikLeo]

He's absolutely amazing!

[@im2smart4u46]

I read the Dragonbone Chair when I was younger, but remember almost nothing about it other than that I liked it. I want to reread, but am waiting until I get the rest of the series from Grim Oak Press. I have a few of the other books on my TBR, and just added Never Die to my kindle.

[@PetrikLeo]

Grim Oak Press edition for Osten Ard Saga will be GORGEOUS. I hope I can afford them all... xD

[@randalthorish]

Age of Assassins is chef kiss

[@PetrikLeo]

SO TRUE

[@Talking_Story]

Thanks as always.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching! 😁

[@hexesandheroes]

Dragon Bone Chair is a well written book, 200-300 pages at the start are paced slow. Picks up after that. Isgrimmnur is the best.

[@PetrikLeo]

I agree about the pacing and prose. Isgrimnur is great! Binabik is the best, though! :D

[@bradleymier2167]

On my list would be The Way of Renegades by Steve D Wall! Great as an audiobook, too - narrated by Steven Pacy. 😊

[@PetrikLeo]

Oh I have that book on my TBR! Good to hear you loved it!

[@Br1cht]

I highly recommend “a Throne of Bones” by V. Day, one of the best epic Fantasy out there but very underrated since he’s published by a small publisher.

[@PetrikLeo]

I have never heard of this one before! I'll try taking a look at it. Thanks for the recommendation! :)

[@Br1cht]

@@PetrikLeo the opening battle scene is a Roman legion vs a Goblin horde, the author is also a Historian so the details is 👌🏻

[@Edidin]

I came across "Nerves of Steel" by Anna van Steenbergen earlier this year. Came out in February this year and - I kid you not - has 10 ratings on Goodreads and I find it criminal. It's steampunk sci-fi murder mystery set in Japan in 19th century, I believe. It's totally out of my area of interest, but I dared myself to read more "not my cup of tea" kinds of books this year and this one was really great. It's a little slow in the beginning with the creation of the world, but once it on, it's on. I saw the author is writing the 2nd volume and I try to keep this it my radar.

[@PetrikLeo]

Wow you weren't kidding, only 10 ratings! The book do sounds great, though. I will keep this ib my radar for now!! Thanks for the recommendation! 😁

[@Edidin]

@@PetrikLeo Enjoy, as I have! 😃

[@joshuagodson6460]

Another really underrated series, in my opinion, is the A Pattern of Shadow and Light series by Melissa McPhail. Hardly anyone talks about it.

[@PetrikLeo]

Argh I really want to read that series! I was waiting for it to be completed and then thr author passed away. I heard her best friend is trying to compile her notes and publish the last book. Not sure how that will go.

[@NaN-cn5hq]

The second book in Memory Sorrow and Thorn is Stone of Farewell not Green Angel Tower. And I agree the series is a masterpiece, it is also dear to me since it is the second fantasy series I read after Inheritance Cycle. You might be surprised to know that GRR Martin considers this series as one of the inspirations for A song of ice and fire, though they don't seem that similar.

[@PetrikLeo]

I know. I'm in the middle of reading the 3rd book, To Green Angel Tower, right now! 😁 I knew about this being one of the inspiration for A Song of zice and Fire. I talked about that in my Dragonbone Chair review. I do think Martin did an excellent job with the inspirations. None of them ever felt like he was copying! Incredible

[@cinxschannel9937]

Do you know, is there a summary for The Helm of Midnight? I read it last year, but forgot a lot, and would need a refresh before reading the sequel. Though I think I will wait for the 3rd book and read them together. But I don't want to read the first book again :)

[@PetrikLeo]

Yeah... I'm in the same boat as you. I want to read the sequel but I need to reread Helm of Midnight. I think in the beginning of the sequel, there's a recap of what happened in Helm, but I'm not sure whether they're substantial enough. 😅

[@jayrocs]

Personally I dropped To Green Angel Tower after opening my copy on kindle and seeing 1700 pages. I had to force myself to push through The Stone of Farewell, and even though I enjoyed the books enough and story they are just too long and overly descriptive. Maybe classic fantasy is just no longer for me and maybe I'll read a summary of TGAT one day and continue with The Last King of Osten Ard but although Tad's prose is beautiful, I cannot read 50 pages of descriptions anymore.

[@PetrikLeo]

I can't fault you at all. It's such a MASSIVE book. I've been reading it for 11 days now and I'm almost 70% through it. That's slow for me, and I've been dedicating most of my free time to reading it. :')

[@XxunforgottenxXxlove]

Funny enough, I started Helm of Midnight a couple of days ago and am really enjoying it so far!

[@PetrikLeo]

Yay! It gets better and better. Enjoy! 😁

[@TheFindol]

Tad Williams' books are in Humble Bundle for a few more days so I'm looking forward to reading the Dragonbone Chair soon! Did you read or do you plan on reading Otherland, his bug sci-fi series?

[@PetrikLeo]

That's a crazy deal. Get it if you can! I plan to read his Otherland series, too, but I don't expect this to happen anytime soon. I'm focusing on Osten Ard Saga first and then we will see!

[@angelaholmes8888]

The forgetting moon and the series is totally underrated I hope the library will get a copy of book 3

[@PetrikLeo]

Yeah definitely! It's such a shame book 3 doesn't have a hardcover edition, too! :/

[@cryingdemon]

I finished the past book in the trilogy over the weekend. Godness gracious its intense, and so satisfying.

[@Canoe64]

Last year I found Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. I love the entire Osten Ard series series, it keeps getting better and better! This year I found The Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts. First book was released 30 years ago and has an average rating of 3.77 out of 5,645 ratings on Goodreads. This is top tier writing, absolutely amazing. I haven't been this immersed in a series since reading Malazan three - four years ago. Another favourite author for me.

[@PetrikLeo]

Pleased to hear that! I have wanted to read Wars of Light and Shadow for years! I was going to read it this year. But schedule keep messing with it. I want to make sure I'm in the right mood for it, I have a feeling this will become a big favorite of mine!

[@khomo12]

Thank you!👍👍👍

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome. Thank YOU for watching. :)

[@maus123]

"Goat Days" Nobody knows about this gem 💎 I'm sure you won't forget about this book if you read this "Masterpiece" "All the lives we don't experience are just fictions for us" -Benyamin

[@PetrikLeo]

Never heard about this book before. I'll take a look at it! :)

[@maus123]

@@PetrikLeo I hope you Read it 😌 But I know you didn't even check about this one😕 Can you Read this after October? 😦

[@PetrikLeo]

@@maus123 I did check it. I can't promise when I'll read everything. Remember, every day I receive multiple comment like yours asking me to read something. I'm only one person. 😅

[@maus123]

@@PetrikLeo 👍 Yeah I know. I have a lot of pending movies (Friends Suggestions) 😬 That's why I told you maybe next month...[December] 👋

[@Sharifa466]

I just received Priest of Bones a few weeks back. Hopefully I get to it soon 😂

[@PetrikLeo]

It's great! I hope you will like it! :)

[@dheerajsingh4001]

Yea man this background is better

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! I think so, too! :)

[@Speed202]

Seems like you liked the Dragon Bone Chair, heh, Petrik 😊?

[@PetrikLeo]

You can probably tell... :D

[@mediabunny4016]

Great shelves! Though it kind of makes you look like some other BookTubers who use this angle... Haha l guess there's no magic formula...

[@PetrikLeo]

Considering that many love this background... there's no other way unless I have a much bigger room hahaha.

[@aysseralwan]

16:40 Aydor will always be the Nr.1 in this trilogy

[@PetrikLeo]

You are a reader of great taste! :)

[@devlyn873]

The Helm of Midnight is definitely underrated!

[@PetrikLeo]

Absolutely, Devlyn!

[@heretic124]

It can't be counted by standards of this video (it's near Tad Williams territory) but Mythago Wood series by Robert Holdstock is criminally underrated. Author (deceased now) was a friend of Neil Gaiman and from my limited scan of English/International market it almost feels like Neil is the only one spreading awareness of this series. Physical books can't be even bought in English at this point, not for the entire series. Only the main few books. It's about British mythical wood where myths and legends come to life. It has 100% influenced Neil's American Gods, there is zero chance it didn't. with the way how mythagos are created. The deeper into the forest you get the vaster it becomes until you reach the center where time "stops". I've been "blessed" by living in central Europe so I have the series in illustrated Czech edition. But the world is missing out on one of the most original series ever written. I'm not even sure if e-books are available at this point for the whole series but most books are standalones so at the very least I recommend reading Mythago Wood and Lavondyss. Czech edition is almost complete by this point, only one book remains and it's planned to be released later this year, I think. I dare say it's a cult classic around here.

[@PetrikLeo]

I have heard of that series before. I think you were the one who recommended it to me, too. Even since you recommended it, you're right that it's criminally underrated. I mean, I can't gauge the quality because I haven't read it yet, but I haven't heard anyone else other than you mentioned Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock. Availability of the books are big issues for the series, too, I think!

[@eoris12]

Looks much better.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much!

[@Grimm44]

The Stone Knife sounds interesting is it worth it i like it's not a typical european story

[@PetrikLeo]

I think it's very much worth it! :)