8 Book Series That Lost Their Way (or I DNF)

[@Highcastle_of_Tone]

"Apparently he's put it on his DNF list"...lol.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Yeah, that line seems to have went over pretty well.

[@alexvandepoel4845]

Exact feelings with the Kingkiller it's not a bad book per say but I don't really see what is so "great" or amazing about it the series does some nice or cool things yet really is not that impressive or epic or really worth much thought.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad I'm not alone on this island. I definitely didn't "get" it, I guess.

[@joelhess1436]

I read both, the original and the german translation and i gotta say the german one is so much better. Idk the whole atmosphere almost feels different.

[@tuffguy0134]

Kingkiller was boring, lost interest quickly. I didn't mind the end of the Dark Tower. It seemed fitting to me. Crimson King was disappointing though. I would love to read Dune. I've only seen the David Lynch movie.

[@gaius_marius]

DNF The Wheel of Time series, just became a slog after book 5 and I couldn't continue torturing myself.

[@Eviligniter]

They were, I was young when I started them, but man if it wasn-t hard, never finished it as for what I read I wouldnt enjoy the end.

[@michaelokeke4976]

Hey there, I agree with you . The Fires of Heaven wasn’t my favorite but WoT can be a hit or miss sometimes but the greatest part about the series is that you will have your favorite 🤩 list of WoT books you liked. For me after the slog that occurred in books 9-10, 11 picked it up for me and then the last three were so ..whoa.. like damnnn. Trust me it’s worth the journey but anyway everyone is entitled to their opinions

[@chrisw6164]

I finished it, somehow. But it lost me after book 7.

[@mrsduncanthetall]

It was half of book one for me😅. I was reading first law at the moment as well and the pace seemed wayyy to slow

[@messiahcomplex2686]

About Inheritance..... Yeah the second book feels so stretched out. Completely forgettable. I just powered through it because of how much I liked the first one. The next two are very very good, really.... I must admit though, I was still in my mid teens when I finished the series, and I'm not sure if adult-me would still like it.

[@Quietcloud]

Finally! Someone else who doesn't like Rothfuss!

[@mikesbookreviews]

I just don’t get it. That story was dull as hell to me.

[@Quietcloud]

@@mikesbookreviews Dull and pretentious!

[@maggiebyrne7656]

Currently reading the name of the wind. I'm loving it! I think the atmosphere of the book is what has ppl loving it ( if that's even a thing ) Something about a guy sitting in a dark bar telling his story. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, all the build up of what's to come. Fingers crossed after I finish book 2 I wont be waiting 8 years like I have been for winds of winter.

[@MattAT95]

Considering most of us have been waiting for it for 12 years....I have some bad news for you.

[@tombrady5587]

@@MattAT95 Haha I've been waiting for Doors and Stones and Winds of Winter for so many years now that I just lost a lot hype for it. The one thing I promised myself is to not re-read the prior books until a release date is announced, and it's been quite the wait!

[@tasosalexiadis7748]

@@tombrady5587 I have both Name of the Wind and Wise man's fear (bought them 2-3 years after the second book came out) and I still haven't read them. I promised myself I won't start another incomplete series after the Winds of Winter fiasco.

[@tombrady5587]

​@@tasosalexiadis7748 I respect your patience. The 2 Kingkiller Chronicle books are probably my favourites of any fantasy I've ever read. I'm luckily not on the same boat for ASOIAF, as I didn't start the books until recently despite buying them 7-8 years ago. Initially as I was watching the show, I held off reading the books as I didn't want to spoil the shows. I then waited a few more years after the show hoping the next book comes out, but I finally lost patience and started reading the books a few weeks ago, but I'm fully aware that I'll also have to wait years for book 6!

[@reginaldforthright805]

@@tombrady5587 you won’t get book 6 until George dies. But Brandon will finish it in 6 months.

[@thomascook8541]

The Dune series is good until Brians guff, you are wrong lol

[@casieblevins7253]

Patrick Rothfuss is a terrible plotter but manages interesting prose. He focuses on all of the wrong things/events plotwise to a maddening point. Why do we need 100 scenes of a guy chasing a girl in a bar? Scene after scene of his signing up for classes. Who cares??? Being shipwrecked and picked up by pirates--now that would have been interesting. I think what he is good at is dangling a carrot, and many many people have fallen for that carrot.

[@plexus]

Are you fucking crazy? Dark Tower?!?! What the fuck! Such a perfect ending! Gah!

[@brendanwm]

Loved The Name of the Wind. DNF The Wise Man's Fear. Absolute trash.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I hear this a lot.

[@neils.9846]

John Gwynne's original trilogy. Loved books 1 and 2 but hated book 3 and stopped there. Does anyone else agree ? Mike ?

[@mikesbookreviews]

Nope. I loved Faithful & the Fallen.

[@kingkusnacht]

I think the Dune series were bound to controversial because Frank Herbert clearly wrote the sequels he wanted to, not necessarily the ones the fans wanted to. Nowadays fantasy fans in particular are so used to getting sequels that essentially pick up with the same characters and type of story a few months after the setting of the previous novel that it can be jarring when reading Frank Herbert and the novels have vastly different characters, settings and themes. I personally love the later sequels, particularly Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune, but would agree that Brian Herbert's continuation was disappointing.

[@tag2054]

I agree with you on The Name of the Wind. I enjoyed certain elements of it. However, I just didn't like Kvothe. On a positive note, the local library bookstore received a nice edition of KKC. :)

[@mikesbookreviews]

Kvothe is the Rey of the fantasy book genre; practically perfect in every way.

[@MissTasseled]

I don't get The Name of the Wind either. It's average at best. But the more hype I hear about it, the more I dislike it. The author that burned out on book two? C'mon.

[@mikesbookreviews]

It doesn't help that he seems like he's a pretty big jerk.

[@TrollsAndScrolls]

I totally agree with you on Hunger Games - first book was enjoyable but after that it went down hill

[@christopherseymour5210]

I think the last DT book had some bloat and weak spots for sure, especially the final battle; but I can't think of a better way to end it. It just makes sense, time is a face on the water.

[@trencher7]

I gave up on Malazan after first 2 books. I don't understand how people like it.

[@mvprindle]

Mike, I like your videos. That said, I think Dune is overrated and DT7 is one of my favorite books of all time. Opinions, amirite? P.S. I also don't understand why people love The Name of the Wind. So, I guess we can still be friends.😎

[@josephhirning2642]

Agreed. I simply could not read Dune, and Why does everyone hype up Name of the Wind? I might read it, but it is so, so over hyped. But that's just my two cents.

[@enlightenedomen3866]

I finished the dark tower a couple months ago and I was nervous about getting to the ending because I heard so many people voicing their negative thoughts about it but god damn did I love it. SPOILERS: I do think some parts of the final book could have maybe been better but as for Rolands ending and what was in the tower, I don’t think it could have ended any other way. I’ve already started re reading the series and it’s so heavily foreshadowed in the drawing of the 3 that the only thing waiting for Roland in the tower is damnation. It’s such a sad and horrifying ending if u think about it. Like Roland is destined to a journey of endless pain and suffering unless he learns to change and give up what he’s addicted to.

[@walkwithpurposevideos]

How did anyone get past the first wheel of time book? It’s God awful.

[@alexisdumas84]

The Stand turned me into a Constant Reader, and I plan to by King's entire oeuvre one book at a time - I have a book collecting problem so I limit myself to one book a month - but I'm reading The Dark Tower right now and it's like playing Russian Roulette. Will I like the ending? Will I hate it? Will it destroy my burgeoning love for SK? Who knows! I felt like Dune Messiah was really interesting: it basically broke down and deconstructed the "hero" that had been built up in the previous book, so it is actually the book that carries Herbert's real message about messiahs and heroes. Children of Dune is important, and it doesn't wrap things up for me, instead it leads into my favorite science fiction book of all time: God Emperor! Yeah, I said it. I liked GEOD.

[@albertstebbins7590]

Surely you read more than one book a month, why limit yourself to a single tome

[@Zking2010]

I hated Kingkiller too. No worries. The main character is one of the worst Mary Sues I’ve ever come across.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Everyone uses the unreliable narrator excuse, and that might be the case, it just wasn’t for me.

[@nobodyinparticular1093]

I think Bram Stoker understood vampires weren't sexy, too - Anne Rice's books wouldn't even exist if Dracula hadn't

[@mikesbookreviews]

I did a review of Bram Stoker's Dracula a couple weeks ago. He's the man.

[@shuralmehki]

Year 2022 goals: try to complete as many of these as possible and report back here.

[@mikesbookreviews]

May the good Lord be with you on your quest.

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

My most recent DNF is Kingkiller Chronicles, the inheritance cycle, the goblin emperor by Catherine Addison, i spite finished American Gods and it gets added to the list cause I wasted 3 days of my life on it.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ugh. KKC.

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

Mike's Book Reviews book 2 was terrible and NOTW was a 3 out of five for me

[@thepragmatist2088]

I personally loved the ending to the Dark Tower. Thought it was the perfect ending for Roland-because this is Rolands story, no one else’s. But I can totally understand your gripes with it, even if I loved the whole journey.

[@j.s.173]

It's all about the journey, isn't it?

[@carlosanthony4972]

I personally don't understand how anyone could think the ending is appropriate for Roland's character. The ending completely ignores all of his character growth in order to pretend he's still the same character from the first book.

[@LordPerrin]

@@carlosanthony4972 uh the ending is pretty forward that he's changed hence the horn

[@BookMaven9]

Awww I loved the first 3 books in the Vampire Chronicles and then they went downhill. DNF the rest cause she lost her way. I refuse to finish kingkiller! Rothfuss is like a one hit wonder. A trilogy! He can’t even finish ugh!

[@camron1103]

I loved The Name of the Wind. To be honest I don't really have a reason for liking it. Yes the prose is amazing but the people who say they read it just for the prose are probably lying. I personally liked the story. There are some problems... but that didn't make me not love the book. (I admit the story feels as through Pat is throwing the plot out the window to write prettier. F*** Denna (Just saying)

[@fredrikgranstrom6743]

yes he writes very poeticlly butthe story did not grab me AT ALL.

[@7Seraphem7]

Pity about Shannara, it's one of my favorite fantasy series. Yes, Sword is just LotR as written by Terry Brooks, but the rest branches off the setting details established and gets really damn good, Elfstones is still one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Think I jumped off sometime in the Heritage books.

[@patrickernst4255]

I agree on Elfstones, one of my favorite books of all time. The with Brooks is that he has evovled as a writer. The first three books were all stand alones and his made his stories generational. What has different about the Hertitage books is that it was a one-story four book series. Still good but long. After that he went to three book stories and started writing tighter. What I like is that he deals with things like changing technologies and from start to finish his books are about the 'rivalry' between magic and technology. For all the 'it's just LofR' talk, Books still is one of the only ones who has the 'everyday person' protagonist theme. He has even tried some very jarring things as a writer. He is still very good at multiple plotlines throughout a story.

[@TheEricthefruitbat]

I really like Sword, and thought Elfstones was passable. I don't even remember if I went past that.

[@fredrikgranstrom6743]

name of the wind aint all that.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Fredrik Granström I’ll never understand the acclaim that book gets.

[@fredrikgranstrom6743]

@@mikesbookreviews agreed, sure I enjoy poetry sometimes, but then ill read a fucking POEM easy to a digest, not hundreds of pages of a borning fucking book, going nowhere with an unlikeable protag... I want a cool story full of action and plottwists. I want suspense and thrill. And not someone being the best musician with the worlds cringiest lyrics. who cares if he never finish book 3 im surprised people finish book 1 !

[@briankregg6329]

It is less than that!

[@griffincooper9534]

I did really enjoy it, but book 2 felt like a chore for me to get through. He spent WAY too long on certain parts, and it ended up being like an 1100 page book when it easily could have been 600-700 IMO. I'll probably go back and read them again if Doors of Stone ever comes out, but now that I've read all of Joe Abercrombie's stuff and am getting into the Gentleman Bastard series, Kingkiller Chronicle doesn't seem like anything so special to me.

[@jenniferwood144]

Agree why why why does Patrick R get top reviews for book 2. UGG

[@mikesbookreviews]

Even people that adore NotW like it's their first child make excuses for book 2. They usually say it's "set up for the finale" or something.

[@PearlJamaholic]

Agreed on Dark Tower, ending was so disappointing. Anne Rice I felt she was just milking that cash cow, and it started to show pretty soon after the 3rd book. Del Toro's Strain series went downhill fast, the first book was great, the last book was a waste of time. I had high hopes for that one, a back to horror form for vampires, but he did not stick the landing.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Anne Rice has been going the paycheck route on Vamp Chronicles for 20+ years now.

[@doncusson]

Wow! You hit almost everything about each of those series right on the nail! (Except the Hunger Games never read them...never will) Kudos for getting through the Dark Tower series I ran aground with the Wolves of the Calla it just seemed like an effort was made to finish the series but the passion that it started with dried out. Dune is a classic and will never get dated ( hell I may just have to read it for the third time before I check out the new movie)! Great video and you’ve got yourself another subscriber 👍😁👍

[@josephhirning2372]

For me, It would be The Shannara Chronicles. The Sword of Shannara was eh while Elfstones was pretty good. Also, I did like YA( Harry potter and Percy Jackson),but I agree that the Hunger Games is not as good as everyone is saying.

[@ayce5656]

Eldest is a slog at the beginning but it does pick up keep pushing and itll all pay off by the end

[@owens945]

As far as im concerned Dune is a stand alone, and its amazing.

[@caseyh8386]

For me, it's a two parter with Dune Messiah. Then once Paul walks off into the desert I'm like "lovely, that wraps that up, THE END" lol

[@ezzong]

@@caseyh8386 exactly. Dune Messiah was a beautiful end to a story and I felt very satisfied. Don't want to tarnish it by continuing lol.

[@Mark-iv6yg]

I love the Dark Tower, one of my favourite series, I just embraced the strange journey of Roland’s Ka-tet and absolutely loved it start to finish, book seven included! Agree with you on Rothfuss, it reads like someone’s childish fantasy, terrible

[@mikesbookreviews]

I understand Dark Tower is divisive. I just felt like he rushed it just to get it done. Rothfuss... *fart noise*

I finished the first book and it felt like a slog despite being so short as a novel. IDK why because I love westerns

[@Mark-iv6yg]

TheCoffeeNut711 if you like westerns, All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, extraordinary...

[@Mark-iv6yg]

TheCoffeeNut711 too bad! Different strokes my friend, happy reading

[@wolfhart1444]

@@mikesbookreviews lol, I couldn't handle Shanara either, heard he became a better author but I couldn't make myself get to it. Anne Rice is my great bane...same experience every time, love the beginnings but by about the halfway point I realized I hated every single character and can't force myself to keep going. I even tried a book she wrote under a pen name (one of her s&m books, the one they made a movie of), and with this being the 3rd or 4th I tried, I made myself finish it just to be able to say I actually did it once. NO MORE! There just isn't enough time and my TBR is too big. Hey if you don't connect with something, so be it. Stick to your guns. I respect your thoughts. ☮️

[@NIcolasbobbitt]

I couldn't read name of the wind. But I found it strangely fascinating to listen to the audiobook. Because it's written to be told as a story that someone is telling to you directly. it just kinda fit so well.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

GREAT idea for a book to recommend to listen on audio!!

[@DaveShaves44]

im going to give that a try!

[@mndrew1]

DNF - Malzan and whatever the WIzard's First Rule series is called. Both cases good to great first books, then sequels that went totally into WTF land.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I’ve had the Malazan warnings.

[@micaelat3734]

@@mikesbookreviews I enjoyed the Malazan. I borrowed the first 2 from the library, but ended up buying all ten by Erikson. However, I didn't like the kharkanas; I gave up on that. Neither liked esslemont's tone of voice. I would recommend the ten volume Malazan and leave it at that.

[@JamesMcCormickIV]

How'd I miss this one! 666 LIKES :O. Lets fix that :p

[@emmettfitz-hume9408]

Thank you for speaking up about the Rothfuss books. I just don't get them.

[@adampender2482]

Wheel of Time for me. Worst book series ever

[@Archonsx]

i didn’t like the dune book, but i loved the 2021 movie

[@justinhight235]

I love night angel but I do get the complaints . It’s just a great fun junk food read .

[@Jcarte4308]

Lightbringer was definitely a step up for that author.

[@ajpeters2912]

I completely agree with you on The Hunger Games but I love Night Angel those books are some of my favorites. I have not read Shannara but I have heard a lot of mixed reviews on it so haven’t picked it up. The Inheritance Cycle is a series very near and dear to me it inspired me to start writing myself. I haven’t read anything by Anne Rice. I read Dune, it didn’t move me. Everytime you bring up Kingkiller is cry inside

[@unstartedartist]

name of the wind is terrible, it’s not just you

[@ninetysixxtears]

Name of the Wind reads at best like an endearing early effort from a teenager trying too hard to emulate high fantasy prose, or at worst, a limp exercise by someone who thinks the problem with Harry Potter was that the main character wasn’t the greatest wizard of all time.

[@lilyloves768]

Really enjoyed this video. I loved Dark Tower & the ending was brilliant to me! KKC is the most overhyped series I have ever read, the 2nd book is just awful. The only series I have ever dnf-ed is WoT. Good Lord is that boring!

[@josephhirning2642]

Finally! I'm not alone! Wheel of Time started out great but turned into slog by book five. Completely overrated.

[@lilyloves768]

@@josephhirning2642 I stopped after book 3 😅

[@jadapandy]

Tried Name of the Wind twice -- and it bored me to tears! John Gwynne's Faithful and the Fallen blows him away, as does Joe Abercrombie.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Gwynne's series is one I've heard a ton of great things about.

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

I was only able to finish name of the wind by reading it on kindle and switching on and off with audio. I DNF Wise mans fear.

[@amberantk1]

Oh, I thought it was just me not comprehending Dune's 'children.' I dutifully purchased "Chapter House" and "God Emperor." Couldn't digest them.

[@mikesbookreviews]

God Emperor is a tough read for some.

[@rogerhuggettjr.7675]

A series you missed is Roger Zelansky's Amber Series. It's great for 9 1/2 books and then it becomes apparent that he doesn't know how to tie up the loose ends and has the worst magic fight bs to finish it. It felt like a movie that had plot holes so they tried to distract from it with special effects.

[@mirceapintelie361]

agreed🧐

[@nikishazechiel6848]

I agree 💯 with everything!!! Grew up with Shannara, but I do not wish to read it anymore. The only one I did not read is the Dark Tower. But,I just do not understand the facination with Robert Jordan. I read his first book 20+ yrs ago and it was ok. But, when I read the sequel info, it was the same story!! Thus, my respect for Robert Jordon is MIA. Did I just not give it enough? I was completely disgusted that the bad guy was not dead as I had thought in the first book....I don't like story retells.....I don't know. I'm just baffled that you and Green just love that series.....

[@mikesbookreviews]

WoT can be work and it isn’t for everyone, regardless of what most Wheelies say.

[@dyrcosis]

I still haven't forgiving Stephen King for the ending of The Dark Tower and neither has my mother. I started the series with The Gunslinger back in the early 80's and read every single book King came out with including the Bachman books. I was fully onboard with the Stephen King multiverse. But the final resolution for his ka-tet (Jake, Susannah, and Eddie) combined with how Roland's story "ended" just killed it for me. I haven't purchased a single King novel in the 16 years since. As for Terry Brooks, I loved the original Shannara trilogy which I also read in the early 80's at the same time I was getting in to Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. I really don't care about the Tolkien comparisons either considering how much modern fantasy is heavily influenced by his books. I think the Shannara series was strong throughout the 90's and early 2000's. However, at some point he started becoming too formulaic by repeating the same plot with different characters in different times. I think the last trilogy I truly enjoyed was The High Druid of Shannara which ended in 2005.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I forgave him, but I still hate it.

[@walternate2914]

Lightbringer for me. Amazing magic system. Cool world and premise. Good first couple books, decent characters. But then it really went off the rails for the sake of subverting expectations and plot twists and turned into a total mess.

[@Cam5FC]

Hunger Games....read 1 and 2....wasn't even interested 3. And I am thankful for that. Dark Tower... Such a good series and then you get to 7. Oi vey! The Matrix 3 style ending made me sick. I was not happy about it either. I think those time-repeater ending is a cop-out

[@mikesbookreviews]

So much rage after I read Dark Tower VII. I serious did not "speak" to King for 6 years. It took 11.22.63 to get me back.

[@SlytigerSurvival]

I agree man, Young Adult is very off putting. My favorite series of all time is ASOIAF and LOTR. I’d like to write my own book

[@mikesbookreviews]

I mean, I get why people flock to it because it requires very little dedication to world building, but I feel like it lowers my intelligence so I stay away from it.

[@willisix2554]

Seems like after ASOIAF,and LOR everything else seems come up really really short

[@sasuke22dante]

I live for your DNF videos. They are both entertaining and informative, it's OK to not like a book and say it loud and clear! I agree with your list, but I'm not as patient as you, and I DNFd many of these earlier in the series: Hunger Games - 2nd book seemed like such a cheap copy of book 1 that I never read the 3rd one Eragon - I couldn't make it through the 1st book, it just read too pretentious and the plot was meh, but not bad for a teenage writer I guess Name of the Wind - Great prose, some good ideas and magic system, no plot whatsoever, overpowered protagonist and plain female characters, IMO a missed opportunity for a great book, but hey, it got a following anyways. Zero interest to continue the series. I also throw Twilight in there, I struggled to finish the 1st book, it was OK but it made me wonder why it was so hyped.

[@mikesbookreviews]

You lucked out skipping Hunger Games 3. Woof.

[@denisecurrie4555]

Catching up on your backlist and wow - thank you - I've never heard anyone else say that they love Dune and not its' sequels - but I could not agree more. I love Dune - I re-read it more than any other book, but the sequels go so far off the rail. I just pretend that Dune is a stand-alone.

[@mikesbookreviews]

There are redeeming qualities in Messiah/Children as a pair, but it never touched the original.

[@tasosalexiadis7748]

@@mikesbookreviews I love Dune Messiah

[@deangulberry1876]

SPOILER KINDA: When I started reading dune messiah, I just could not believe he skipped the whole jihad on the galaxy. I go back and forth on whether I kinda like or hate the sequels. But I did stop reading 100 pages into god emperor. It’s like the sequels were written by a changed man, a more pessimistic Frank Herbert. My main gripe in the sequels is: THERE’S NO SWORD FIGHTS! There’s like 5 great sword fights in Dune. “A feint, within a feint, within a feint.” People loved that in the first book. Then he decides, ah I’m just going to drop the most fun part of the best selling scifi book of all time.

[@JeantheSecond]

I’m surprised. I’ve never heard anyone say they loved Dune and liked the rest of the series. Everyone I’ve heard says they loved Dune, maybe liked Dune Messiah, and don’t like the rest of the series.

[@myfirstnovel]

Picking my way thru your back catalogue. I stopped Rice at the trilogy; Herbert at God (which I liked but that was in my teens, so who knows now); loved the ending to Dark Tower; and Rothfuss was good but no way the new OG. I don’t get that one either…

[@Sparkball]

Hunger Games 1 and 2 are pretty fun (specially the first half of Catching Fire) but OH GOD MOCKINGJAY IS BORING AF and I agree the ending is remarkably stupid

[@alynam82]

I really, really enjoyed Name of the Wind but I laugh at your reaction. I honestly can't think of why people hate this so much, but it's tough to explain why I enjoyed it. Probably because life kept shitting on Kvothe and he had to dig himself out. I like how he punked his bully (I forgot his name) and I liked the mysterious Denna. But he was a punk, so I get it, people didn't like his character.

[@FrancT-]

To me Name of the Wind was a mediocre story with amazing prose. The events in the story didn't grab me because i couldn't care less for Kvothe. There are so many superior fantasy series out there, in my opinion.

[@alynam82]

@@FrancT- I hadn't read many fantasy books at the time I read this, so that could be why it left an impression for me

[@mylifesodyssey]

Thank you! I don't get why people like The name of the wind so much! Kvothe was such aq Gary-Sue in my opinion and I couldn't stand him" I push through the first book but I don't think I'll read the second one.

[@sasuke22dante]

same

[@jcwoodman5285]

Wheel of time for me, 1 it's YA.. I rage quit when he just kept cranking out the same plot formula volume after volume. Insipid, juvenile relationship bs...😘 Upside was I discovered GRRM🤗

[@HandlesAreStupid2024]

Wheel of time I am attemtping for the 4th time. I always stop around Fires of Heaven / Lord of Chaos. So much needless exposition from Jordan. I LOVED how The Name of the Wind is written. I don't really care about Kvothe as a character, but I am fascinated by the unreliable narrator and recounting. There are portions of Wise Man's Fear that I really enjoy too, but overall I think it's structure isn't as fluid as NOTW. Maybe I just like Rothfuss' writing style, even if I find him as a person pretentious af.

[@davidpo5517]

I recommend the Audible audiobook versions. I’m currently reading WoT, have been for a couple years (with a break between each book). It’s how I’ve been able to just keep going with the slow, repetitive parts of the series. Don’t get me wrong, I like the books, but I don’t get the hype. They’re good, just not amazing.

[@chrisw6164]

God Emperor of Dune is awesome, but the series drops off afterward.

[@briangallagher3106]

I panic closed the video when you were about to spoil book 7 of the dark tower, I got imagine you get to the end of lotr and Sauron........ STTTTOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPP!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ha ha, I understand, but know that it is severely vague and many disagree with me.

[@Trygvar13]

I liked the first five Vampire Chronicles books (Memnoch being my favourite) but I stopped after Armand... just not good anymore. I loved The Dark Tower for years until I read the last few pages of the seventh one... I love the Dune series but the first one is not my favourite. I would rate them this way 1. Heretics Of Dune 2. God Emperor Of Dune 3. Chapterhouse; Dune 4. Dune Messuahg 5. Dune 6. Children Of Dune

[@-Adam.Z]

I’ve got one: Orson Scott Card’s Ender series. Loved Ender’s Game - it deserves all the praise it gets. Then I tried to read Speaker For the Dead. Twice. I tried print and audiobook, and I just couldn’t finish it. I’ve read that Speaker is the book that Card REALLY wanted to write, but he had to write Ender’s game in order to set up Speaker. Idk if that’s true, but it is a prime example of the follow up being too unlike the first volume in tone and pacing. There’s a lot less story and a lot more philosophy in Speaker.

[@swagadone4072]

I came here to say this. Speaker wasn't even as bad as the ones after. Now the Shadow books were a great follow up.

[@gaius_marius]

14:03 it's not just you. I also don't get why people like this book so much.

[@halliehurst4847]

Anne’s Rice’s Realm of Atlantis... It deserves to be the only book on this list because, compared to it, the others are not really that bad. I think Anne Rice started going down hill for me a lot sooner, I learnt later that after the Body Thief I think it was she decided to not use an editor. I’m not sure if that’s true or a bit of a myth that has sprung up but her writing deteriorated from there for me. I enjoyed her Mayfair Witches series a bit more and kept up with that but it fizzled out in quality too. Then she announced that she was returning to Lestat and I thought why the hell not? I love these characters, it’s been years, it’s probably a cash grab but who cares?That was a mistake. Prince Lestat was okay and pulled me into a false sense of security. Then Atlantis had aliens creating vampires and I just couldn’t anymore.

[@nicholasoleksak395]

Depending on how some feel on this one: The Sword of Truth. It’s very inconsistent. I’ve only read the main storyline but I chose to DNF the sequel series because I didn’t want to go through the frustration again. Does anybody agree with me? It’s an interesting read but then it gets incredibly sloppy and a bit bizarre.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I read the first SoT book as a teen and don't really remember much. I have a controversial opinion that his books get so much flack because of his political views (like what happened to Orson Scott Card), but having not read them I can't really apply too much weight to that opinion.

[@fredrikgranstrom6743]

@@mikesbookreviews he made fun of robert jordans heart condition.

[@johnbarnes830]

I read about half of SoT and they are okay at best but as a fantasy writer myself it kills me when does the had had thing. You can do so much better than that.

[@adampender2482]

@@fredrikgranstrom6743 what's wrong with that? Jordan was a horrible human being

[@Uhlbelk]

@@adampender2482 How was Jordan a horrible human being? Did you know him?

[@Michael_L_Morrison]

Anne Rice - Memnoch the Devil killed that series for me.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I was out around Vampire Armand.

[@thomaskittock2866]

I absolutely adored TNotW when I first read it... But then again, I had just jumped from "A Wizard's First Rule," by Terry Goodkind, which is quite possibly my most hated novel of all time.

[@swagadone4072]

Yeah . . . anyone who recommends The Sword of Truth isn't to be trusted.

[@adampender2482]

Yeah gotta hate those conservatives bc everyone tells you to

[@DarthSnugglePuss]

@@adampender2482 who mentioned conservatism? The book is just bad.

[@adampender2482]

@@DarthSnugglePuss not as bad as WoT

[@DarthSnugglePuss]

@@adampender2482 okay? Why do small minded people have to bash something else when something they like is criticized? Things can and do suck in a vacuum without having to compare to other things.

[@Dalton325]

I've been meaning to get around to reading Dune. Too much else to read. I haven't read Rothfuss' books for the exact reason you mentioned. I'd heard it hugely hyped, and I'd just been ticked that GRRM was taking so long. I decided I wouldn't start it till Doors of Stone came out. I'll risk spoilers on it before I risk really liking it and never getting a conclusion. I know writers say don't pressure people like Rothfuss and GRRM, that you'll get a worse book than if you waited. I understand that. They aren't beholden to me or anyone to do anything. They could completely troll someone and write half an amazing story and then purposefully not finish it. I don't think that's at all what's going on here, but when it's been closer to a decade than not, I wonder what their frame of mind is, because it can't take that long to churn out a solid story. Look at Sanderson. I love his work, he churns it out steadily, and he still has time to do other stuff. He's said before that he treats it like a job. I think Rothfuss and GRRM just write when the moods and inspiration strikes them. It's kinda shitty that they're leaving us hanging. GRRM is actually banging the next book out, since according to him, with the virus on, he can't just go running around doing other stuff. He's actually forced to be home and write or stare at a wall for all intents and purposes.

[@DaneofHalves]

I very much hated the Dark Tower series because I read and re-read the first 3 books because I loved them. From there on...especially the last book with his shitty 4th wall breaking talking to the reader..just took me out of it. Also, I can understand your aversion to The Shannara series. The first few books are very much in a similar vein to Tolkeins world. I loved it and it was a little easier to get through with a more modern pace from the older tolkien classics. But that's isn't what kept me in the Shannara series. What kept me in it was the generational nature of the story telling. An anthology, with each successive book, you went further and further into the future of this world following the descendants of Jerle Shannara and the forces they had to contend with. Some brutal sacrifices are made along the way and the pacing is a refreshing speed when I need a break from the more slower paced Martin/Jordan styles of fantasy writing. I have fallen off though some years back. Think I only got about 14 or 15 books in before I gave reading a break for a number of years. I hope to re-start it and get to the books I haven't read yet. Running with the Demon is on my TBR. I got about 75% through the Name of the Wind by PR and stopped reading it because nothing and I mean nothing was happening. I will eventually pick it up so I can have a more accurate opinion on the book but holy crap waiting to like a book after having read 3/4ths of it.....I just don't understand how more people don't like it.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Books 6 and 7 made me so mad at King I didn't read him for almost 7 years. It wasn't until 11/22/63 that I forgave him. Sounds like Shannara stayed fun for awhile. I only read the trilogy as a teen. Not sure how I'd feel about it now.

[@richpaul6806]

There are two big series that I have never finished. The dark tower. I have tried to read it several times and I get about 50 pages in and it just doesnt have my attention. The other is Lord of the Rings. Each book seems like there is a couple really long chapters of just histories that I dont give a shit about and I cant get through them. The council of elrond in the first book. After finally getting through that after putting the series down for several years I get to the march of the ents in the two towers and I have never made it past that.

[@sasuke22dante]

That happens to me as well with some books. I tend to read 2 books at the same time now, that way when I'm getting bored of one, I go on reading the other one to avoid the reader's block. Specially with books that are huge or very descriptive.

[@richpaul6806]

@@sasuke22dante I can't do that. If I put a book down and read something else I need to start over again from the beginning

[@sasuke22dante]

@@richpaul6806 Why, do you forget what you've read?

[@richpaul6806]

@@sasuke22dante not forget exactly, but I'm not connected to it anymore.

[@Hilipinapixili]

I'm not an audiobook guy (I get distracted very easily and often find out I wasn't paying attention for the last 5 minutes of narration so I skipped important info), but I TOTALLY had to find a narrated version of The Name of the Wind in KZbin to get through the last few chapters. I just couldn't bear it anymore. I listened to them at work, left the book in the stand and never even got close to contemplate continuing the series. Also Harry Potter. I DID finish it, but if I'm being honest I didn't really enjoy any of the books past the 4th one. As for some of the ones you named... Night Angel to me was OK. Not amazing, not bad... Just serviceable as a one-time read that you don't regret but you don't really find yourself thinking about much afterwards either. I'm actually about to start reading the Dune sequels, so I can't speak about those. I enjoyed Dune well enough, though not so much as to consider it one of my favorites (as far as sci-fi goes, Foundation is my absolute favorite and I also liked Hyperion more). You said they get weird in the fourth book but, if I'm being honest... I kinda like weird stuff. 😂 So who knows?

[@keatsiannightingale]

I was so surprised to see The Name of the Wind in there ahaha. I love that book. I haven't read the 2nd one yet, I want to reread the 1st volume before I do. I have heard many split opinions on that one, unfortunately... I do love the author's writing, I found it so beautiful and even poetic at times. I did like the story as well, kept me intrigued to wonder what comes next, the mysteries and all. I also like the concept of "knowing the names of things" and translating that to a power of some sort. I remember it took me around 50-70 pages or sth to really get into the book, but once I was in, it hooked me. I totally understand not even want to think about reading another book by an author after suffering such a major disappointment, as it happened for you with King, especially after devoting so much time and enjoyment into a series. I was reading a couple of his works (and loved them) and then I read Gerald's Game, which I hated. That put me off for a long, long time. Then I read the 1st book in the Gunslinger series... which was another disappointment. I don't think I'll give the series a chance, because I thought the book was just alright and a bit boring at times. Maybe I was expecting sth else, I don't know... I haven't read anything by him after that and I have a couple of books on my shelf I still want to get to. I've only heard good things about "The Green Mile" and "Different Seasons", so I hope it's not a let down!

[@kaiju_k5042]

Catching up to your older videos, ok Mike sorry to get superficial but how is it that you age in reverse?!! You actually look younger each ear as the years progress. Can you bottle it and sell it? lol.

[@mikesbookreviews]

You continue to be way too sweet to me. I think I look way older now since I upgraded the camera. But I'll always take your compliments.

[@kaiju_k5042]

@@mikesbookreviews No way and thank you! It's funny I'm actually watching two of your videos at the same time in two tabs, I keep pausing one and going back to the other :D already left a like :) ( My Favorite Fictional Romances in Books & My Top 10 Books I Read in 2021) Im trying to catch up to all your other videos I haven't seen yet And keep adding books to my TBR!

[@TheEricthefruitbat]

I am 100% with you about the Dune series. Dune is the greatest science fiction novel of all time. Messiah and Children were good, and tied things up. God Emperor lost me. As for Kingkiller, I liked it, but it wasn't all that and a bag of chips.

[@colin1818]

Hunger Games was absolute shit. The first book was pretty good. The second book was....ok. The third book was an absolute cluster. Yes, I read the whole thing. Yes, I regret it.

[@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS]

i love the first three Shannara books. But ya they sorta got weaker and weaker the more he kept writing them. That being said, I own every Shannara book in hardcover. but the first 3 are my favs

[@mikesbookreviews]

I was so young when I read the original trilogy I don't know how I'd feel about it now. But I tapped out sometime in the Heritage portion when it no longer felt the same.

[@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS]

@@mikesbookreviews i rolled my eyes when he introduced the flying pirate ships. i was like, nope.

[@mikesbookreviews]

@@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS Ha ha I don't even remember. But I can see that as a NOPE! moment.

[@mirceapintelie361]

Heretics of Dune is NOT a tough read, is probably the most action packed Dune book🧐 God Emperor is,YES,a love or hate book, I loved it but its style is not for everyone The books added to the series by Herbert's son are an Abomination🤬

[@philippburnett6045]

HG books are good and I’ve enjoyed them tremendously. I think this is where our country is heading. Twilight is good too. There are freaking terrifying vampires in there too. It’s just that cullens are vegetarians. Other vampires are scary ones. So I don’t understand why some trash the books so much. Maybe that’s just it was trendy to do so back in day. It’s nice, they aren’t trashed anymore

[@davidblandin8139]

I found the wheel of time seriously lost its way,and the ending was underwhelming

[@michael305m3]

Gotta respect your opinion but I loved name of the wind, I know kvothe rubs some people the wrong way and some consider him to be a Mary Sue but he still has struggled and works hard, but I also like reading arrogant protagonists and I can’t stand incompetent ones

[@No1emilybrowningfan]

Love King but never read the last Dark Tower book. I have heard about the ending and I think that puts me off

[@darrenrouselle180]

I really respect your opinion and enjoy your channel however I couldn't disagree with you more on The Kingkiller Chronicles. It's funny in a way because how you feel about Name of the wind is exactly how I feel about Dune. I just hated it and found it incredibly boring. That being said just makes me appreciate this channel even more because diversity of opinion is what makes life interesting. Keep up the great work and thank you.

[@mikesbookreviews]

That's why it's called an unpopular opinion. I truly do wish I "got" what everyone else does with NotW.

[@DesertRavenGamer]

A popular author, N.K. Jemisin, I tried to read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and I just couldn't get into the writing or story, and I stopped reading after a couple hundred pages. Don't intend to try again or read any of her other works. Sometimes, readers and authors are not on the same page.

[@pugshorty9852]

I have never considered Hunger Games to be YA. I have read every single Terry Brooks book and I have never had any complaints. Terry Brook is always the author I recommend to rookie fantasy readers.

[@pinkhornet8737]

I’m with you. He and Raymond E Feist take up significant portions of my bookcases.

[@pugshorty9852]

@@pinkhornet8737 Feist is another author that I have read all the books. I haven't seen any book channels on KZbin that even mention Feist. You Hornet, have an excellent book collection.

[@barbarasenteney1011]

Reading is totally a personal experience and opinions always vary. You love Dune, I hate it. The Gunslinger/Dark Tower series is just ok in my book, I love Terry Brooks and it doesn't remind me of TLOTR at all, I have read 14 of Anne Rice's Vampire books and was also disappointed in The Vampire Armand , it was a total cash cow. I like her Mayfair Witches better. It is all a matter of personal taste. I don't mind some romance in a book but hate it when a books trying to ride along by using sex scenes. Thanks for your great video.I also love The Name of The Wind. I enjoyed all 3 of Patrick Rothfuss' books

[@mikesbookreviews]

Indeed. That's why I not only allow difference of opinion on this channel but I encourage it.

[@ChristmasLore]

It's funny to write "3 of Rothfuss books", also disingenuous. The trilogy will never get finished, Silent way of thingy was just a way to sell something once more, to get some flowing cash from a 1oo pages novella.

[@destrus1976]

Oh my God! SAME on so many levels. Dark Tower was the most disappointing finish ever for any series that I have read. To have so much potential and just completely crash and burn with the last book was so disappointing. I Total agree that the first four books were fantastic and it was all downhill after that (especially Book 7). I kinda grew to hate how SK had tied everything in to The Dark Tower (all the other books he kept forcing unnecessary connections) because he failed miserably to stick the landing on the series. On Dune, I loved Dune....but after Heretics Of Dune I couldn't finish God Emperor. I didn't even both with anything past about the halfway point of God Emperor. It just lost the 'narrative' to me. It was so 'non Dune' at that point that I couldn't even keep going. Hated the Shannara books because I read them in my 30s (Post starting WOT and other fantasy series) and it was so derivative that I couldn't even finish Elf Stones. I forced myself through Sword and started on Elf Stones and didn't feel like it was taking any kind of a leap forward, so I put it down and never went back.

[@sasuke22dante]

I liked Dune, would you recommend to continue with books 2 and 3, and leave it there? Is there some sort of conclusion at that stage? I know I don't want to go beyond the first trilogy

[@destrus1976]

@@sasuke22dante personally, I stopped after 3. I didn’t finish #4 and I feel just fine with where the story was left after #3.

[@sasuke22dante]

@@destrus1976 OK that sounds good, thanks. As long as there is no huge cliffhanger after book 3 I can give them a try

[@destrus1976]

@@sasuke22dante like Mike points out, Dune is far and away the best book in the series. Dune is a masterpiece. Two and three combined almost make ONE sequel. They’re both kind of short books. But read the first three for sure in my opinion.

[@sasuke22dante]

@@destrus1976 OK if they are half as good as the first one, I'm in for a treat. I might re-read Dune and then continue with 2 and 3

[@dylancox631]

Great video, enjoyed and subscribed. I especially appreciated the part about Name of the Wind. Its well written, no doubt. The first part/whats happening now part was great. His background/childhood/trauma that led him to do those amazing things: awesome. Time homeless in the city: emotional and deep. He first gets to the university: wonderful... and then the story just stops! Its so slow, so boring. Every situation breaks down to him saying "I was so brilliant and everyone hates me for being the best at everything" and I just couldn't get past it. Disappointed because I was really digging it until that part.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I’ll never understand the undying love for that book.

[@glennwerner566]

Shannara had some pretty fun books (Heritage and Voyage of the Jerle Shannara), but it's not something I'd go back and read again. I read LoTR when I was six and didn't pick up another fantasy book until the Shannara books, so they have a nostalgic place in my heart for helping me get more interested in the fantasy genre.

[@Michael_L_Morrison]

Agreed with you about Hunger Games books. My sister recommended it highly, but it wasn't very good. Hated the way it was written.

[@rjams8953]

I absolutely love Stephen King, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Dark Tower series, but his endings are... ooof. But, despite all that, I think the ending of The Dark Tower is the most fitting ending to a book he has ever written. No, you didn't read that wrong. I HATE the ending, and it really annoyed me when I first finished it, but after more thought, I'm not sure it could have ended any other way. ****Spoilers**** Throughout the series there are hints and clues to show you that it wasn't the first time Roland had gone on his journey to the tower. He was ancient, bits and pieces of the world were ancient. All sorts of things hinted that he was even older than he really knew. Then there were all the things that tried to turn him from his goal. All the temptations to live a better life or make the "right" choice to abandon the Tower and save the kid or help his friends, etc... By the end, the tower is a physical manifestation of his obsession. The whole, go back to the beginning and try again thing shows just how stubborn Roland is and how much he can't let go of whatever he believes the tower to be. Just hink about how many times he must have made that trip. How many times he let friends and loved ones die to continue his chase. How many times he chose not to stop and just lead a happy, fulfilling life. And now we know he is doomed to repeat the "lesson" until he can finally bring himself to make a different choice and let go of the tower. I still think it's a crappy ending, but it is certainly apropos for the characters and the world.

[@michaelbaziotis8287]

The name of the wind started brilliantly, And then it slowed down to such a crawl it didn't move... At all... Chapter after chapter gave a almost daily slog through his Never ending life. So boring.

[@noiceman]

I agree with the Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Trilogy). It was good, but not as good as people make it out to be. I think what I liked best was the musicianship aspect of the novel, as I'm a musician. The magic school and magic system is pretty good too. The secondary characters are trash, and his love interest is frustrating and boring.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I just could never find myself caring about the protagonist.