11 Fantasy Series I Haven't Read...Yet

As a compliment video to his Top 10 Fantasy Series, Mike talks about 11 fantasy series that he is aware of and how eager he is to read each of them.
0:00 Introduction and rules
1:29 Honorable Mentions
2:42 Series I Want to Try
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#MikesBookReviews #Fantasy #Books

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hey bookworms! This is the compliment video to my Top 10 fantasy series one I did previously. It's just responding to BUT WHAT ABOUT ____ ?! popular series I want to read that I haven't yet.

[@sparhawk6990]

I am going to start Malazan after I finish Dresden Files and I really like Sword of Truth there is some great twist that series.

[@joshtargo6834]

if you need a short break, Imajica is just one book!

[@turtleanton6539]

Dont forget Dwarves by Marcus Heitz.

[@turtleanton6539]

@@sparhawk6990 really I heard it was a ripoff of Wheel Of Time with bdsm and torturer porn in it. Also the author is a huge asshole that made fun of Robert jordans heartcondition when he was dying of it

[@sparhawk6990]

@@turtleanton6539 Yeah I do not like the author but be put his spin on things, has a new magic system and there are similarities with WOT just like WOT has with Lord of the Rings

[@phen0menos]

The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials #3) was the first book to ever make me cry. It's phenomenal and I can't understand people who think it's bad!

[@rujoolpatil1227]

That third book is great imo (his dark materials)

[@jessi4894]

One thing that will help you when reading Robin Hobb's books is to know that she structures her trilogies like another author would structure a single book. So think of the three Farseer books as being the equivalent of The Way of Kings split into three seperate volumes for publishing length. All of her trilogies are structured like this, except for The Rainwild Chronicles which is four books and the part of the over all series that people say "drags" when compared to her other works. The first book in any of her trilogies is always a really slow burn, with a lot of setup, introductions and character building. Do not go in expecting a full, complete story with rising action, climax, resolution, denouement, etc. to take place over one book, instead look fir that to take place spread across all three for one cohesive story. The entire Realm of the Elderlings series is my absolute favorite series of any genre of all time, and I wish that I had gone into the series knowing this information instead of going in blind. I don't think I would have become so impatient between 1/4 and 1/3 of the way through Royal Assassin and given up on the entire series the way I did on my first few attempts at the series.

[@TreySaunders88]

I know I've said it to you before but, Kings of the Wyld should be folded into that TBR somewhere lol. Good fast paced book that's refreshing after a huge series. Glad the channel is continuing to grow. So happy to have a booktuber thats into the grim dark like me

[@edgarpalomino3044]

The Realm of the Elderlings is very emotional and Hobb writes great characters. It is 16 books divided into 5 series and which have satisfying endings. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is also a great read. A series that takes the classic Tolkien story but adds its own style and one of the works that started a shift towards a more political/darker world. There is a reason Martin lists it as one of his primary influences. Earthsea is another fantastic series. A children series that can be enjoyed by adults to. Great prose and moments of introspection that hit you time and time again. Can't go wrong by anything by LeGuin.

[@danielfreitas8196]

Edgar Palomino is the fourth series in the realm of the Elderlings worth reading?

[@edgarpalomino3044]

@@danielfreitas8196For me it was. I did think that it was the weakest series alongside Farseer but still good. The problem that that I think people have with it is that Hobb writes realistic characters and in this book most of the main characters are young adults. They get a little frustrating at times but the series gets better as they mature.

[@danielfreitas8196]

Edgar Palomino ok thank you :)

[@Magandi92]

The Realm of Elderlings is the only series ill never re-read! So good but man did Hobb do a number on me.

[@greensmurf9623]

When it comes to the Michael Moorcock books in the Elric series, he wanted to make it so you can pick up any book and read it. It can be a good idea to read Elric of Melnibone as an introduction and read whatever you like from there. There's no real order so I wouldn't stress over it. Also worth pointing out is Elric is only one incarnation of the Eternal Champion in the multiverse. There are so many others to checkout, with the occasional crossovers between series. Check out his Corum and Hawkmoon books as well.

[@SiJayEunsoo]

I’ve always been a slow reader but I’ve gotten better these days with some effort. I don’t have a TBR set up next year and I’ve been wanting to start Malazan so maybe I’ll jump on that train with you. With two little kids I might be able to keep up and keep my interest if your gong to read them slow lol. Also Bernard Cornwell is my favorite author and I highly recommend him. His historical accuracy is on point. I’m loving your channel and am always looking forward to new videos. Iv’e just barely discovered you and you’ve one of my favorite book tubers next to Daniel and Murphy. Keep up the good work👍

[@spyroskamilalis2515]

Hi Mike, I recently discovered your channel and I find it to be the closest to my tastes and style of reading that I've seen! I was catching up with your back catalogue of videos and I'm glad I'm pretty much caught up and I can start commenting on new videos as they are released! I have my own plans going all the way to the end of 2021, but since Malazan is in there, I'll be there to do this together. Right now, I'm rereading and finishing all the series that I've already read parts or whole. I will also be with you for Memory Shadow Thorn, as this has been on my list for quite some time, too. Let's see how this goes!

[@nehalnassif]

I put a like before I even watch your video because I know it’s gonna be worth it. Appreciate your efforts, and the results are always fun and informative.

[@calista3371]

I'm getting more and more into Discworld and I'm loving it. I would love to see more of that on your channel. I say 2022 should be a discworld year!!!

[@Mhidraum]

I'll add those to the list. My taste often match yours, so hopefully they'll be right up my alley. Looking foreward to hearing your thoughts on Farseer. I absolutely love Realm of the Elderlings, and think it just keeps getting better with each book.

[@SunscourDavis]

👍🏽. You’ve got some great stuff to read in the future, excited for you...

[@tangd4357]

New to your channel and enjoyed this video! I completely understand how your brother feels about GoT...I started reading MST first as they came out as a teenager so that trilogy will always be dear to my heart. Glad to see it made the list! :)

[@Aranneas]

all in all great list. i've read most of these and i think they're all worth getting into, even the ones that i don't think are my favourites in the modern day give you a lot of insight into the way the genre has evolved over time and some great great work in there

[@StevBerryessa]

I have just now found your channel, and this is almost a year late in coming, but boy are you in for a treat with The Chronicles of the Black Company. I am also a huge fan of Abercrombie, and the influence is definitely there (Malazan as well). Cook is absolutely the Godfather of Grimdark, and that series is my all time favorite. Can't wait to see what you think of them in the (hopefully) near future.

[@dennicaid7682]

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is on my TBR for this year. I've been slowly collecting the Malazan books for Kindle - read book 1 several years ago but I have a very sketchy memory of it. I am intrigued by the John Gwynne series, the first book is on my wish list. So i'm with you on some of these - I've read the Farseer Trilogy and I remember enjoying them but again, memory is sketchy and I hope to re-read them someday. I have also read the Prince of Nothing and part of the follow up series, VERY dense books. It took me until probably a third of the way through the first one to understand what was happening and when I did, I really enjoyed the rest.

[@ingoodfaith20]

Hope you can make time for Discworld in 2020 :D :D I would love to read along with you (and hopefully many other subscribers of yours). They are the perfect palate cleansers to the bigger/more serious fantasy series you're planning to read. Witty, fast-paced, heartfelt, and just all-around fun.

[@thomasburk871]

I hope that you feel better about book 3 in Farseer than I did on my read through. It really drug me down and had a lot of emotional strain. By the time I finished it I was unsure if I even wanted to move on. I ended up picking up the next book, Ship of Magic, and about 100 pages in I was hooked again. As far as Realm of the Elderlings goes, Farseer Trilogy was probably my 3rd or 4th favorite section for my first read-through. All that to say, don't be worried if you feel emotionally exhausted at points or for long stretches. The juice is worth the squeeze!

[@brentasmith]

I've put Red Rising on my list because of your videos, and for a palette cleanser series I plan on reading the Monster Hunter series. I read book 1, Monster Hunter International, a couple of years ago and it was fun as hell but I'm yet to pick up book 2. I might do that next after I finish The Eye of The World.

[@PugFeist]

You mentioned my two favorite authors in this video and they are Eddings and Feist. I highly enjoyed both, the rift war saga is epic and the landscape and world he creates is huge and sprawling and the Empire trilogy is one of my favorite set of books in any setting. Very much a Shogun feel to it and a great female perspective throughout which I find quite lacking in a lot of fantasy series.

[@adventureswithJacqui]

I remember reading A Wizard of Earthsea in my English class way back in the 80's! I loved it. Tad Williams is my all time favourite author and can't recommended his books enough. His world of Osten Ard is just the best.

[@jenniferbrooks]

You will LOVE the Saxon Stories when you get into it. They fly by and it’s hard to believe that they’re even better than the show. I got the Faithful and the Fallen book one on a whim about a month ago when the ebook was on sale. Have no clue what it’s about, just that it’s been recommended to me! You’ve got some great options here. I think your reading is set for years, lol.

[@carole5648]

I love the third book of His Dark Materials! However, I did read it as a teenager, right when it came out, and it is on my list to reread, so can't say if my opinion will differ, but I have no reason to think it will. It's also a much shorter series than you are used to and I think you'd fly through it. I'm on book 4 of Malazan (still), and I bet you will catch up and pass me.

[@garrettgardella8090]

Regarding Malazan, I don’t recommend reading a book every 2-3 months unless you have a photographic memory lol

[@fredbarker9201]

Garrett Gardella I might make some notes when I read it😂

[@cup1966wow]

@@fredbarker9201 Maybe I just have really good memory for stuff like that but I never had that issue. I am able to read multiple series at once with no issues of forgetting what has happened though. Although saying that theres no chance I would go 3 months without reading next book. Malazan is amazing, takes me about 2 weeks to read each book usually.

[@josephong1873]

I just could not finish this book 😞

[@praetorxyn]

I just have a big problem with Malazan. I just struggle with each book, it has a lot of trouble keeping my attention. I'm not sure if that's Malazan's fault to be fair, as I haven't exactly been reading much published material of any kind. There was a year when I was out of work and couldn't afford to buy books, so I got into fan fiction, and it's sort of become comfort food; I don't have to care that much about it, it's just killing time. Maybe that's made it hard for me to get invested. I'm reading House of Chains right now, a bit over halfway through it. I really like Karsa, but at the same time I am reluctant to read his bits after what he's already been through because I'm pretty confident it's not going to end well for him lol.

[@praetorxyn]

@J K I read Wheel of Time in a month or two probably, twice, and a lot of people drop that. I've got plenty else I could read, but I've never DNFed a series I've started so I want to finish Malazan book 5 before taking a break from it. I have the whole Dresden Files series I haven't read, have to read the Poppy War books before the third comes out in November. Need to re-read Mistborn Era 1 and read Mistborn Era 2, Stornlight Archive, Lightbringer. Probably some others I'm forgetting.

[@markbaker737]

Hey Mike.. I have read a lot of Bernard Cornwell.. so so good. Love the history aspects of the read. Half way through The Saxon series at the moment. Loved The Last Kingdom.. Also read his American Civil War series..

[@marcweber8509]

Normally I tend to read more slowly, but Malazan I finished in about 6 months. Near the end of each book I thought I needed a break, but couldn't stop myself from reading because I was just mesmerized. I don't know how many other people feel like this, but it only took a couple of pages of each book for me to be fully immersed in it, even Gardens of the Moon, which I personally love, and it only gets better from there imo. The huge complexity also didn't bother me, because it felt so natural to me personally. I guess this series really hit a spot for me and it might be different for others, but I just love this series to death. It's my favorite of all time.

[@nemoonbekend2483]

Hit me the same way. I was sucked right in and read the whole thing over the course of one summer.

[@marcweber8509]

@@nemoonbekend2483 I don't know if it was the same for you, but other than enjoying it on every level I felt an actual need to read and finish it. Maybe because it was a darker time in my life and it helped me work through it. But it felt really important and cathartic to me and kind of changed me as a person.

[@nemoonbekend2483]

@@marcweber8509 It was much the same for me. I wasn't at a particularly dark point in my personal life, but the central themes and philosophy underlying the work certainly struck me in a similar way.

[@starglider25]

Hi Mike, great list! Firstly on Discworld, Pratchett's style really evolved over his career, so the style of books in series varies quite a lot. The early books are as you described, "Douglas Adams does Fantasy" - not quite as good as Adams, but close. Some great ideas and some great gags, mostly making fun of the fantasy genre as a whole. Then a few books in it starts changing, Pratchett becomes more like Jonathan Swift, a bit more literary and highly satirical, and the Discworld itself develops a lot, characters have more depth. This stays the same for the bulk of the series, and these are imo his best work - from Mort (no.4) all the way through to Night Watch (no.29). The later books gradually become more serious and even more literary, almost Dickensian, particularly Monstrous Regiment. The Elderlings series is great, both for in-depth character development and excellent prose, well above standard fantasy writing. Each group of novels stand alone, I particularly loved the Liveship Traders and Rain WIld books, but they all come together beautifully at the end, so it's worth reading them all in publication order. On Tad Williams, I think MS&T was a big influence on Jordan as well as Martin, great series that really sticks the ending. Also worth looking at his Otherland series, and ambitious mix of sci-fi and fantasy that really works. On female authors, check out Mercedes Lackey (the Valdemar series is excellent, although a bit YA) and JV Jones - the Sword of Shadows series is fantastic, if as yet unfinished. Her other work is worth checking out first. Looking forward to future videos, but not sure I'll be following your Malazan stuff :-)

[@CSLWoodward]

You’re pronouncing Raymond E. Feist’s name correctly. 🙂 Magician was my first fantasy book and boy do I love it. The thing about the Riftwar cycle is while there are 18 books in the series, they’re broken up into smaller 3-4 book sagas around central characters with reoccurring ones from earlier books. Would recommend going in blind to Magician in regards to story but with your tastes (insert Dune comment here) I would highly suggest reading Daughter of the Empire by Feist and Janny Wurts after it. Discworld you can just jump in anywhere: *you don’t need to read chronologically.* a lot of people do suggest Guards! Guards! As a starting point (book 8). I started with Mort (book 4) and was fine, but his later works are where he REALLY shines. Happy reading Mike!

[@stepan.tichyy]

Mike, Earthsea is amazing. It is different than what you think it is. It is peaceful fantasy that has magnificent worldbuilding and atmosphere. Le Guin was a scholar and studied anthropology and her world is great. Personally, I feel about Earthsea as this comfort food where a large story happens, but it is personal and "grounded". Also, Le Guin has a great "strong" female character Tenar (book 2 and 4)

[@nemoonbekend2483]

Le Guin is just such a talented writer that she is almost always worth reading.

[@shawnlinnehan7349]

This may sound strange, but when I read that book, I can feel my brain chewing the words and they taste wonderful. It’s the only book I have ever had that feeling. So strange.

[@goaway3717]

Since you appear to enjoy Butcher's Dresden Files series another from an urban fantasy slant you may dig Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series. I read her books while waiting for more Dresden to come along. Of course if you want an action twist on things check out Larry Correia's Monster Hunter series. I like your take on the side stories side of things - I did the same thing with Dresden and it was very easy to pick up the time frame of the short stories and they're just as enjoyable after getting thru the main story line as far as he's written it anyway. Thanks for the video, as always you keep giving me more to consider for my future reading lists. I hadn't heard of Malazan previously and as much as I like Glen Cook, now seeing his praise for the series (according to Wiki) grabs my interest.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I’ve had the Yellowrock rec before. I added it to my Goodreads.

[@powermetalbard]

12:00 Main meat of the Elric story is in this order: Elric of Melniboné, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, The Weird of the White Wolf, The Vanishing Tower, The Bane of the Black Sword, Stormbringer. The first book "Elric of Melniboné" kind of works as a prequel to the rest of the series but it is still absoloutely necessary to read as it is still the first book in the series and it is what introduces you to the world and to the characters.

[@MattVickers]

Malazan remains in my top few favourite series of all time. Many people don't like Gardens of the Moon and say Erikson's writing improves a lot after that. Personally, I think lots of people just like to know a bit more about what's going on, and Malazan doesn't spoon feed at all so you can be lost for a while. When you're further into the series, Gardens makes a lot more sense and I think you appreciate it more. I actually got hooked about halfway through Gardens but understand not all will. Getting started, I would recommend utilising the Tor blog reread from a few years ago if you want a few more clues about what's happening without spoilers. Book 2 is quite different and an excellent follow on. Be prepared to get very attached to some important characters, and be very moved. I plan to start Glen Cook's second series soon (the books of the south iirc), and continue with John Gwynne's second arc. He writes incredible stories and comes across as a really nice guy online.

[@mikesbookreviews]

This is why I want to take my time with Malazan. Seems like it could be info overload if you try to rush through it.

[@idiostoyevsky8012]

Tad williams is writing a new series in osten ard (the same world of memory, sorrow and thorn). He is agreat writer. Good luck in school :)

[@michaelo5665]

So happy to read this. Going to go look up the latest news.

[@aozgolo]

I think you said Feist right, if you do check out Riftwar, you may want to look into a couple of old 90s PC RPGs called Betrayal at Krondor and Return to Krondor, which is set in that universe and the script was actually written with Feist. For Discworld, it's not really fair to call it a single series, it's more like multiple different series that take place in the same world with some interconnecting plots. If you google Discworld reading order you can find a really handy infographic on the different series within the series, and so if you tackle Discworld as those smaller pieces then it's much more manageable than to view it as one massive 40 book epic. There's also some really good adaptations of Discworld in the form of both adventure video games and TV Mini-series. If I could recommend one series to try, a hidden gem in my mind, is the Darkness series by Harry Turtledove, a 6 book series starting with 'Into The Darkness', and to me it feels very similar in structure and theme to A Song of Ice and Fire, but the basic premise is it covers the events of World War II except in a magical fantasy world where instead of guns you have magic sticks, instead of submarines you have leviathans, instead of bomber planes you have dragons, and so on. It's definitely one of my favorites and if you ever get a chance to pick it up you should, almost nobody talks about it which is a real shame in my mind and I just want to do everything I can to rep it when I can.

[@shawngillogly6873]

Yeah, he said Feist's name right. It's classic fantasy. A good cleanser from a "heavy" series. Easy read, good action, and enough politics to keep it from getting too simple. Not enough to turn the story into Big Book Fantasy. Glen Cook is better than Joe Abercrombie. Fight me. And not just The Black Company. Ahh, Malazan. Well, I've been planning my re-re-reread of Steven Erikson's masterwork. I shall follow the series with you, and have my heart broken by the Chain of Dogs and Memory of Ice as well. I was actually thinking of sucking it up, forcing myself to re-read the (significantly inferior) ICE books in the world as well, and do a proper chronological read. Which would mean starting with Midnight Tides. But that is neither desired nor recommended by the author or publisher. The Saxon Chronicles are a good read. At least through the first 5 books. They hit a point where they're starting to tell the same story over again. But until then? Cromwell probably is the best historical fiction outside of Wouk and Clavell. So yeah, read this. Robin Hobb...I am in full hate-it camp. When your strength is supposedly character development, and your characters are too dumb to live, this is not a good combination to me. Just saying...

[@matthias5048]

Robin Hobb is fantastic! George RR Martin calls her writing “a diamond in a sea of zircons.”

[@valarya]

GRRM turned me on to Robin Hobb in the early 2000s and I'm so glad he did. I think Realm of the Elderlings is the greatest series I've ever read.

[@HarukoZ001]

I was lukewarm with the Farseer trilogy, but I absolutely loved the Liveship Traders series, which convinced me to reread Farseer. I am glad I did.

[@THX-bz8bi]

@@HarukoZ001 whats your thoughts on the rain wild chronicles? I've heard mixed things.

[@cherilyncleveland1284]

I have been collecting Terry Pratchett for awhile and I haven't read one that disappointed me. I think Guards, Guards is my absolute favorite. I also like to read them between my heavy books just to kind of lighten things up. Definitely Monty Python humor at times. I don't think you would be disappointed trying it. I would read the Guards stories because I think they are the funniest. Hogfather is my second favorite and I read that this past Christmas and I haven't laughed that hard from a book in a really long time.

[@briangallagher3106]

Third book of His Dark Materials is great. It’s in my top 5, I loved that series from start to finish. I first read it at 30 years old too. It’s so good. Read it Mike I’d love to hear what you think.

[@athariel012]

I always go and read a Discworld novel or two after finishing WoT - I find it helps me 'reset' after the emotional rollercoaster of Memory of Light. The good thing about the Discworld novels is each one (excluding the first two books) is a completely separate/individual story so you can read them in isolation. If you'd like a one off Discworld read I'd recommend Small Gods

[@mindlantern6009]

The Death Gate Cycle is worth checking out. Also the Solar Cycle books from Gene Wolfe, especially the first four books known as Book of the New Sun. Really weird but mind twisting stuff, EXCELLENT writing style.

[@giorgikenkebashvili6123]

Prince of nothing is one of my favourite series, love the plot and character development, and world with history is amazing)))

[@ChristmasLore]

Seconding this!

[@EveryDayALittleDeath]

I would definitely recommend His Dark Materials. I don't think the third book is bad at all, a slow for a bit, especially in regards to resolving the cliffhanger that ended book 2, but after that, the action ramps right up and we get some really awesome moments. I could see the shippers being disappointed with the very end, as it's very bittersweet in regards to romance, but honestly this is the first time I've heard of people liking the series but thinking the third book is really bad. In regards to Discworld, something that may make the series less daunting is that you don't have to read all of the books and you don't need to read them in order. There are groups of reoccurring protagonists and it's recommended that you read each group's storyline in order to avoid spoilers, but I didn't bother(because nobody told me) and I still thoroughly enjoyed them. The Death-centric books (my favorite protagonist group) start with Mort, The Night Watch books start with Guards, Guards! The Witches of Lancre books start with Wyrd Sisters (Granny Weatherwax is in Equal Rites, which is earlier, but she's more supporting cast in that one) and the Rincewind and the Unseen University Wizards (my least favorite protagonist group, personally)books start with The Color of Magic. There are also a bunch of standalones, which, by virtue of being standalones, can be read in any order without spoilers

[@BigDaddy13515]

Prince of Nothing is my favorite series.. It explores some of the darkest themes in fantasy but in the most beautiful way.. It’s nihilistic and violent and there’s betrayal.. Some of the best characters with beautiful depth.. You can’t help but feel empathy towards the anti-heroes.. And Bakker’s writing is beautiful and some of the most thought provoking writing I’ve experienced. Try it and hope enjoy it.

[@BigDaddy13515]

And Bakker is also working on the last two books of the entire Second Apocolypse series called the No-God so it should finished soon.. If you like Abercrombie dark gritty stories Bakker’s writing is leagues above in my opinion.

[@BigDaddy13515]

Sorry last thing just want you to know I also will start reading Malazan in January with you look forward to it

[@rosseller2045]

Just picked up the first 21 Discworld books, so I'm pumped to start that!

[@mikesbookreviews]

I think I have 30 or 40 of them on my Kindle 😂

[@TeamAwesomeDK]

If you could edit in a picture of the cover of the first book in the series when you mention in that would be great. Makes it easier to visualize and remember if you've heard of it before

[@jameskyle7943]

Disc World: One of the cool things is that there are 3 groups of characters, with of course a lot of overlap, that each book focuses on, the Wizards, the Watchmen, and the Witches. So if you like one of those the best , you can pick those out and read them. (I'm a Watchmen fan myself) He wrote them such that each book is standalone to an extent, you could totally pick up any random one of these and enjoy it, but yes you will be missing a lot of call backs. I've read the entire series except the last book, which I have not been able to bring myself to read after the passing of Mr Pratchett, because then the journey will truly be over.

[@stephenbarrett8861]

The ‘main story’ with Michael Morcock runs through multiple manifestations of the Champion Eternal. It’s been published in 14 omnibuses. Probably best to leave it until you’ve finished with Malazan.

[@nemoonbekend2483]

True enough, but if one doesn't want to tackle the full Eternal Champion mythos (though it's well worth doing) the various Elric works can be read in pretty much any order and enjoyed.

[@ritavashkunda2437]

Hi I'm not a regular in this channel so I maybe wrong, but I do remember you talking about the Powder Mage trilogy. I am currently in the middle of the second book and I absolutely LOVE it. Also, it's short compared to most in your list. Give it a go if you can. Cheers.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I plan to get to it in 2021.

[@MrRutty1984]

I'd recommend reading discworld in publication order as you see Terry Pratchett's writing style grow and you will naturally develop your own favourite books from the series.

[@ramblersramblings2421]

Hi , I bought Red Rising on your recommendation and liking it. Last night picked up Malice hoping to read along with the discord. So I'm glad to see you are interested in Bernard Cornwell, I have read many of his books from multiple series very prolific writer and great.

[@ramblersramblings2421]

I'm enjoying your show and your opinions. I will be joining you in January that's another series on my tbr. So many books to read so little time but I hope I can get more in following along with you. Thanks.

[@noiceman]

I've commented this in at least 4 of your videos tonight alone: the Acts of Caine is the greatest fantasy series of all time. Period. I've read pretty much every fantasy series and this is perhaps my favorite (I go back and forth between Acts of Caine and Conan the Cimmerian Barbarian).

[@mikesbookreviews]

I do have them on my Kindle. It'll happen eventually.

[@ZetaStriker0000]

If you stick to waiting until 2021 to start Malazan, reading the initial three books of The Black Company before the end of the year might be a good idea. Glen Cook was a HUGE influence on Erikson's writing and it'd be interesting see you approach Malazan with that in mind.

[@jeremydanchuk1897]

one series to throw onto your TBR is Jack Whyte's A Dream of Eagles. Great take on the King Arthur saga.

[@Merrick]

great series. * ahem * not fantasy. really good series though.

[@jeremydanchuk1897]

@@Merrick it does have some fantasy elements to it, it is kind of a cross between fantasy and historical fiction.

[@Merrick]

@@jeremydanchuk1897 i honestly don't remember any fantasy elements

[@jeremydanchuk1897]

@@Merrick There was some dream stuff predicting the future, mostly with Merlin. Not much mystical, I am just using it to base me listing it as fantasy...lol

[@Merrick]

@@jeremydanchuk1897 i had forgotten that about Merlin, so good enough for me. cheers Skystone is my fav in that series, and that's a generation before Merlin takes over... the forging of Excalibur will have to suffice

[@andy_2901]

It's not in this video, but I just can't wait for you to read Percy Jackosn to your kids and you've mentioned it before in other videos. It was a huge gateway for Fantasy and Mythology for me and I hope it does the same with your kids. Excelent video as always Mike, honestly one of my favourite KZbinrs right now.

[@gut.6925]

I became so interested in his dark materials these days. The setting seens so criative

[@Blitzman1999]

I will join you for MALAZAN! It's a series I wanted to start for awhile. Political Thrillers are just so good and I've heard this is one of the best.

[@nielsblokland1723]

Feist is a lot like Eddings. I loved them both growing up, but unfortunately they don't really hold up well for rereads for me personally. Since you are familiar with Eddings, have you ever read The redemption of Althalus? It is a single book story from Eddings which does hold up for me to this day. It's a bit more lighthearted then his other bigger stories, but still great.

[@taighyoung9755]

Definitely should read The Acts of Caine!

[@noiceman]

Hands down, this is my favorite series of all time.

[@emilybuskey8679]

Loved Black Company! Imagine a Vietnam War book meets an epic fantasy world. It’s hugely popular among the military community. It does slow down in the middle, but had a very satisfying ending. Glad to see it on this list. Also His Dark Materials is a solid series. Book one is the best, but I found two and three very enjoyable.

[@JB-gr3jl]

Glad to hear you're going to get into Discworld. It's not a series like Malazan or WoT. The first two "Colour of Magic" and Trip the Light Fantastic" are the only two that are serial. The others are all stand alone. There are recurring characters in several books (Rincewind the Wizzard [not misspelled], Sam Vimes, Carrot, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and many others) but most of the books are stand alone. "Like Monty Python", Yeah.

[@thomasburk871]

A lot of people recommend starting with Guards! Guards! which is what I did. I've now read all of the Night Watch Books and the Death Books and am working on the rest between other reads. Love Discworld!

[@ingoodfaith20]

@@thomasburk871 The City Watch and Death books are my favorite! Thud! and the Night Watch really hit me in the feels.

[@thomasburk871]

Myca Patricia Salonga Oh man,Thud! is so great! “THATS NOT MY COW!!”. I also always appreciated the way he expanded the fantasy races in the city throughout the nights watch books, like not only does he keep adding more diversity to the city, all of it fits so well in his crafted story and nothing is added just for filler. The cultures and specialties of each help to build the world and make Ankh Morpork feel so real.

[@Bridgebuilder42]

If you are interested in Pratchett, but don't have time now to get into Discworld, then read Nation. Its a short stand alone book. Its the book he made sure that he would finish before he died, he dropped everything to finish it. Its beautiful and encapsulates what he was about.

[@calista3371]

You also need to put the series Cradle by Will Wight on your list. I know Petrick talks about the series as well. They are quick reads and lots of fun. You can read one in about a day.

[@locolima279]

The Expanse I'm most excited to read. But, that is after the Cosmere reread/march to Rhythm if War.

[@humzajalbani5453]

I've read the first book Wizard of earth sea It's really good. It's the classic hero journey but done in a very introspective way. The main character learns about himself and the world through hardships. I would definitely recommend I'm on the second one myself.

[@Tanarosblack]

Acts of Caine is one of the best series I have read. It is a blend of fantasy and SF, and the books get more complex as the series progresses. It is the most underrated series today. Please try it, you will thank me.

[@breese42]

I'm excited to see you get into the Rift War Saga...it's high fantasy. Although I love David Eddings and have reread each of his series many times...the Rift War covers characters from young adulthood to the peak of power..this series should be high on your TBR. Along with Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince series...she'll actually cause your eyes to "leak"! Elric is an acquired taste...dark fantasy...maybe grim dark before there was grim dark. Elric of Melnibone is the first book to read in the series. And of course I'm waiting on your Eddings read...

[@breese42]

And it's Feist pronounces f-eye-st

[@nemoonbekend2483]

A couple of quick thoughts. I'm pretty sure that Elric's first published novella was written as a one off, but Moorcock got such good feedback he wrote more of them (much in the way that the first published Conan story takes place when he is already King of Aquilonia). They do form a single cohesive narrative and have been assembled as such in several Anthology/Omnibus editions. Discworld is great; also not meant to be read as a series. They are quick, fun books and make great "palette cleaners" in between bigger reads.

[@gunneratijuf8915]

I liked the Codex Alera series by Jim butcher. Pokémon + Roman legionaries

[@mikesbookreviews]

I have CA on my Kindle. I want to finish Dresden first.

[@gunneratijuf8915]

Awesome man! I’ll be reading malazan with you next year but the ca books are well and done and have a cool premise of you get around to it ^.^

[@christiang208]

Funny how his better series always come from stupid bets ;) not as good as dresden thou :P

[@ChristmasLore]

"+ the lost legion"; though that's more lore, private joke from the author, than reality.

[@edosaomoruyi1]

You should definitely do a read along for Malazan!

[@MetalGildarts]

I want to tackle Wheel of Time next year. I also want to continue with Dresden. I read Storm Front earlier this year and I liked it. I also want to look into Codex Alera. Also Lightbringer by Brent Weeks. This is all on top of writing my own fantasy stuff and easing my way back to school...frick.

[@dr.jakeschmitz7274]

Spellmonger series by Terry Mancour! Absolutely EPIC story and character development! I can't speak highly enough of it!

[@phillipmorin2905]

Amber Spyglass is amazing. Not sure why it gets hate. His Dark Materials is an amazing series.

[@benwilson7870]

Read Riftwar Saga last year, and man it was awesome! Read the whole series in a year, and that is super rare for me. Great video!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Happy to hear! I'll be getting to it eventually.

[@kev4366]

have you gotten onto the Serpent was saga yet? I don't think individually any of the books quite hit the heights of Magician but as a series i think it tops Riftwar and Feist writing is stronger.

[@benwilson7870]

Kev I haven’t! But I’ll have to check it out! Thanks :)

[@kev4366]

@@benwilson7870 The King's Buccaneer and Prince of the Blood fall in between the two sagas, both have some plot that contributes and are worth reading but are not essential to the plot of the saga. Also there is Jimmy the hand, Murder in Lamut and Honoured enemy that all occur in between the first and second saga but they are totally non essential to the plot, still all great reads though.

[@benwilson7870]

@@kev4366 Thanks for all of the advice! So it sounds like they are all set in the same world then?

[@jtlivin]

You won't regret reading Bernard Cornwell: his Warlord Chronicles (that you alluded to - a treatment of King Arthur as an historical figure) stands right up there with the best fantasy series' I've read.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I look forward to it!

[@marcusmcdermott9103]

Damn it, just finished book 2 of Malazan but I wish I'd put it off now and joined the readalong next year

[@Dyuqe]

3rd book in Malazan series "Memories of Ice" evoked in me more emotions than anything under a category of entertainment/culture. Like.. nothing comes even close and I wasn't even that invested in the series. 1st book left me intrigued, 2nd left me hooked, but 3rd left me in awe. I think I was 15 at the time and I didn't even know that books can do this stuff to me :( And I'll forever hold Malazan in high regard thanks to this, even tho I never managed to finish it. Maybe your read along will be a good opportunity to do that :)

[@t.hussain921]

I've never cried more while reading a fantasy book than Memories of Ice.

[@mikesbookreviews]

And this kind of passion is why I’m excited to read Malazan.

[@ernesthakey3396]

Another great series by Glen Cook which has a much more humorous style to it than the Black Company is this: Garrett P.I. is a series of fantasy novels by American writer Glen Cook about Garrett, a freelance private investigator. The novels are written in a hard-boiled detective fiction style, with elements of traditional mystery and dialogue-based humor. Garrett, during his adventures in his home city of TunFaire and across Karenta and the Cantard, has to deal with elves, vampires, centaurs, trolls, and numerous mixed breeds, along with gods, wizards, witches and more. Unlike most fantasy series, the Garrett P.I. novels focus more on the detective aspects of the story and less on the magical.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Have you ever read the Hawkmoon quartet series by Michael Moorcock starting with The Jewel in the Skull? And his Eternal Champion series? And Jack Vance’s Dying Earth series.

[@timgrasak7673]

When can we expect your review of a Memory of Light?? I have anticipation spren around me right now!!!

[@Danny_Matson]

For a split second I read that as sperm. I wonder how many other people have done that while reading the Stormlight Archive.

[@timgrasak7673]

@@Danny_Matson lol, I haven't ever read it as sperm, but I probably will now.

[@fatlarry3623]

can def recommend your #9 riftwar cycle. best series imo

[@Iza56]

Tad Williams has also new trylogy written in same world as memory, sorrow, and thorn ➡ osten Ard saga. oh there's also The Chronicles of the Black Company series by Glen Cook

[@danielfreitas8196]

The Black Company is also great, I read the first book last year and it was a little confusing but if you power through it , you start understanding it alright. The second book is really great (even on its own) and will make you appreciate the first book more. :)

[@thomasburk871]

Totally agreed. I picked up the first book of The Black Company this year and quickly devoured the 1st trilogy. The tone is excellent and the way that Cook utilizes Magic is always so interesting.

[@OldGoat-cw8he]

I love this entire series. It's great if you love a more real world kind of spin to your books. There aren't perfectly evil villains or heroes in the real world and there isn't in this story either.

[@plungeybabie]

The Black Company has been sitting on my shelf for years. I better get around to it.

[@calista3371]

See, I'm a reader who loved the whole His Dark Materials. I thought the ending was rather genius, myself. I hadn't heard people didn't like the last. Earthsea, the first 3 books are a good read and they are short and quick.

[@Grendelbc]

Moorcock had other characters besides Elric. I recall a couple of trilogies with a character named Corum that I read long ago. Good stuff.

[@hans-sniekers-art]

I think the last book in Dark Materials is my favourites of the series? The first book 1 is phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal, true classic. Yet book 3 seems evolved or changed into something more adult and the different elements of the underworld and of many science journal type stuff ... I don't know, it's really fun and I love what it does and the ending is absolute heartbreaking but so bittersweet ;----; so please read it, it's so phenomenally build

[@matthewdeancole]

Also check out The Drenai series by David Gemmell and Thre Grim Company by Luke Scull. Scull is supposed to be like Ambercrombie. Also, check out Cook's Dread Empire stuff too. Not all of The Black Company stuff is great. Finally, other stuff on my list to check out include The Moontide Quartet by David Hair and Gods of Blood and Powder by Brian McCellan.

[@diannepolmanter7217]

Feist was my first foray into fantasy after Tolkien. And they are so so so good. They’re old school but are really good reads.

[@JamesI88]

For the first four, or three, magician books, depending on how you buy them, they really pick up in the second half of the magician book (master). The first being much more of a traditional fantasy story, not that that is a bad thing. Silverthorn then had a drastically different approach to it in terms of scope and size of the setting, which some dont like, but I found it a very enjoyable story as long as you dont go in expecting a continuation of the first story arc. If you liked these four, there is a follow up series written later on in the over all riftwar saga of books that recounts the events of some of these books, but from a different point of view that I heard is a great trilogy. Cant say more without spoiling.

[@Musicteachersheff]

His Dark Materials, I loved the last book. I can’t stand unfinished stories, and the three books are, to me, just one long flowing story. My favorite creatures are in the 3rd book and while the “resolution” to the main problem is kind of meh...the story of the two kids is perfect and wonderful and heartbreaking, and heartwarming. Plot aside, the character resolution is GREAT!

[@frank7411]

Yep, the third book is amazing, it's my favourite actually.

[@fantasybooknerd1961]

Another good one is The rivers of London series by Ben Aaronvitch. It's a strange mix of English police procedural and urban fantasy Read them this year and really enjoyed it.

[@NIcolasbobbitt]

Just started the black company. It's good but has a really slow start that ramps up as the series progresses.

[@Marcus-id5ur]

Earthsea: read it as a kid some 30 years ago (back when I was reading Eddings and Brooks) so I don't remember much in the way of details, but I think it was pretty good. Plus everyone else says it's good so my memory must be right. Riftwar: read it about 20 years ago. Fun, easy read. Good, not great. Ton of books in the extended series, I didn't read them all but I think I got through at least 9 before I moved on from the series. Prince of Nothing: I own it, I tried to read it and it just wasn't catching my attention. Probably should give it another try. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: Another one I read about 20 years ago. Definitely a better series than the aforementioned Riftwar. Williams tends to have slow pacing though, same problem with his Otherland books. Beginning especially was slow. But very satisfying series overall. Moorcock: funny you mention you didn't know where to start. It was on my TBR list many years ago but I didn't know where to start so just gave up. Elderlings: Great story, great author. I have liked everything of hers i have read, though I probably need to catch up on the later Elderling books. I'm not going to spoil anything but some people might not like the first trilogy because the ending is just wrong. I just couldn't believe that was how she was going to end it. Yes it does work just fine as a closed story, I just can't imagine someone not wanting to read more. I don't usually like female authors that much, and Ive read quite a few, but Hobb is an exception as she strikes a good balance between relationships and the action. The Banished Lands: Your excitement is convincing me to move this series to my TBR list. Malazan: Love it, but as you have already been warned, man it is heavy. GOTM is a step down in writing quality from the others as it was Ericksons first book and he was obviously just getting his feet wet. He never gets to the technical level of writing as a Tad WIliams or Robin Hobb, never mind one of the greats like GRRM, but his story is so epic and his imagination so vast that you enjoy it anyways. I definitely need to do a re-read as i'm sure I missed so much the first time through. The sheer number of characters does make it hard to keep track of what is going on, and it doesn't really have a main protagonist like Rand in WOT to keep your attention centered. It's just a really big story. Look forward to seeing your reactions to these books. I think your videos have convinced me to add Banished Lands and First Law to my TBR list. And I know i have said it before, and I know it's on your kindle, but I think you are really going to enjoy A Land Fit for Heroes whenever you get around to it.

[@gatling216]

The thing about Discworld is that the start is very, very rough. The first few books aren’t bad, necessarily, but they lack the structure and continuity that makes the latter books so engaging. I’d recommend starting with Guards, Guards!

[@vicentemunozcalahorro8616]

There are some good stand-alone books as well. If you like Viking culture Broken Sword by Paul Anderson and another great book DragonsBane by Barbara Hambly ( no Viking culture here though )

[@Rajathon]

I hope to grab some more Discworld books too.

[@PnutButtaJllyMan]

Contradicting my a comment I made on another video, I would love for you to read blood song and hear your thoughts on it. Even with the underwhelming sequel.

[@yu7anna]

I am watching this video a year later (April 2021) and I have already bought both The Wheel of Time and Malazan books but started reading The Wheel of Time series. Most probably it will take a long time to finish it and then I will start with Malazan.

[@JLchevz]

By all means read The Last Kingdom series (it's actually called that now), it's very entertaining, it is fairly historically accurate (to a degree of course), and you can read each book in a couple of days, they're not very complicaded but they make up by being really entertaining, great stuff.

[@timcavallero9818]

Good List. Black Company first three books is excellent. Then he added on taking the story eventually back to it's roots and some of this was excellent and some of it felt a bit gratuitous. Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series is excellent, read it tomorrow. But it's not fantasy, I don't think. It's historical fiction, kind of like Shogun. I'm surprised you haven't mentioned Lois McMaster Bujold's World of the Five Gods fantasy series or Steven Brust's Dragearan Novels. These two writers are world class.