BOOKS THAT DESERVE MORE HYPE 🤎 hidden gem book recs

[@bluseadragon]

Every month I submit the maximum amount of purchase requests at the local library. They’re probably sick of me by now but I want to read so many of these new fantasy books every time one of these videos comes out 😂

[@nicoleneedschocolate]

I’ve been considering doing this for my fav underhyped books!

[@hollydusomelau1642]

This is now my goal.

[@Edidin]

The least hyped book (as in no hype at all) I ever read was "Nerves of Steel" by Anna Von Steenbergen. It's been out for a year and a half and still has only 12 ratings on Goodreads, which for me is absolutely mindblowing. It's such a great story. It's got murder-mystery, steampunk Japan, reluctant friendship, well written characters and such a complex moral dilemma it's still with me after a year. I wrote the author after I read it and she's such a nice lady. I really wish more ppl checked it out.

[@sidepunch]

I'll check it out Thanks

[@Edidin]

@@sidepunch Really hope you'll give it a try and enjoy it :)

[@nikkisumesh]

Only 12 ratings is crazy

[@Edidin]

@@nikkisumesh It is. And this book deserves so much more. :)

[@alzbeta8285]

Thanks for the rec! This sounds really interesting and something I would enjoy

[@Jay100.]

I can’t wait for season 2 of apothecary diaries, it’s about to get crazy

[@girlunderthespellofmusic]

Same I just finished s1 today and i am already missing it sm

[@megansnyder5784]

Apothecary Diaries absolutely needs more hype! I’ve seen the anime and am keeping up with the manga as they roll out. The historical details are also truly astounding. And the art! It’s so stunning. The voice actors for the sub are fabulous. Jinshi and Maomao’s dynamic have me cracking up every episode.

[@ZoeMcDash]

Yes, Reign and Ruin is fantastic! I read the whole Mages of the Wheel series and loved each book! So glad to see you share it here! 💗

[@guidancelight57]

Omg i love apothecary diaries! I'm waiting for season 2. I loveee her relationship with Jinshi their dynamic is so cutee!! 😍

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Elle: “if you are a mood reader and what something for fall, this is for you”; me: instantly buying book ✨

[@karisthelibrarian1442]

Thank you for releasing videos like this--I get so many new titles for my TBR pile. I recently read Race the Sands based on your recommendation in a previous video and I loved it! I haven't seen it even mentioned on any other channels, which is sad. I can't get enough of books with cool, creepy monsters like the kehoks and the tennur from the Bloodsworn Saga. (That would be a fun video--unique monsters!)

[@devlyn873]

The Emperor's Edge series is so good, I'm glad you're getting into it and enjoying it so far!

[@chokog2446]

Thank you for highlighting Lindsey Buroker! She is a lot of fun to read!

[@HungryEyes-sl3mu]

Spin of Fate is already on my TBR and I'll have to see if I can find The Apothecary's Daughter somewhere. Are you going to do a review on The Phoenix Keeper? I listened to your review back at the beginning of the year and this book became my most anticipate of the year. Sadly it let me down, big time, but I'm still curious what you think of the plot and characters.

[@gingerfury8018]

Very interesting and definitely a few new titles added to my TBR. A book that I've thought deserves more hype is The Imposter King by Eli Hinze. It's a historical fiction set in ancient Mesopotamia following Ahsan a character with a character with a dangerous secret as he is selected to be the imposter king after a threat is foretold.

[@nattienell]

Thanks for making these videos! I just got back into reading last year and I’m constantly looking for new reads. I just finished Green Rider this week and loved it! Never would have found it without your help. I looked up Foul Days and hope to start that soon, thank you!

[@JovieStroll-f8t]

Yay my internet is finally back on! Thanks to hurricane Helene my house was without power for 20 hours. Glad I get to watch this video to celebrate! 🎉

[@nrgnjg]

Glad you’re okay!!

[@JovieStroll-f8t]

@@nrgnjg Yes very thankful that me and my family were okay!

[@jessicahope1180]

Definitely adding some of these to the list but I'm also wishing for you to write another book. Fell in love with your characters 🙏

[@deacongirls4227]

I just got The Fireborne Blade in the mail Friday, it is next on my TBR. Thanks for putting it on my radar.

[@carriegarlock9194]

OMG I love The Apothecary Diaries. I think it is the best show of 2024. This and Kaiju #9 are the only shows I care about this year.

[@TamilaSushkova]

Omg I'm so, so happy you enjoyed Foul Days!!!!! I read an ARC of both FD and the sequel and frankly the second one is just as good, and it was such a fantastic sequel!!!! If you want a historical fiction fantasy with Slavic folklore/mythology, I would highly recommend The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore and it's a feminist retelling of Baba Yaga, the maligned witch from Slavic/Russian folklore and it's set during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and it's really well done as well as it comes full circle and SO, SO, SO Good and I don't say that often as someone who is very particular about Slavic folklore since I am Slavic myself.

[@pao3292]

I miss watching the Aphotecary Diaries! So cute and fun. In kind of those vibes Im really enjoying The elusive Samurai! In underhyped books, I would recommmend The House witch, a cute fantasy with romance

[@pankajluthra-d7k]

You should read 'A couple who sold their soul: Curse of an Extramarital Affair' book. It is also a hidden gem, very few people know

[@cmeeki4]

I look forward to your fantastic fantasy recommendations and ive added a few to my super tbr❤

[@bauman921]

the last war trilogy, as many people say they love the first law and lord grimdark himself I am surprised the last war doesn't get more love.

[@joelindley5113]

Foul Days was pretty good and I'm looking forward to Monstrous Nights. Don't know exactly why but I had the idea of Witcher meets Doctor Zhivago stuck in my head.

[@ΑσπασίαΖαμπέλη-γ8ε]

"Wings Upon her back" by Samantha Mills.: This one took me by surprise! It is really good and I do not see anyone talking about it!

[@petiolereads]

Apothecary Diaries is the best!! The manga is really great - I still need to try the anime and probably someday the light novels too haha.

[@axelgermany8888]

You should really watch the anime since the artist of the manga got arrested for tax fraud so dont expect many updates, plus season 2 is probably going to catch up to the manga and even go more further into the story.

[@violaerbach5566]

I’ve read Foul Days after your recommendation and it is my favourite read of the year so far!

[@karolina8465]

What about M. J. Sullivan's books? I just found two series of his on Storytel and they look promising.

[@mugdham2811]

Riyria series is best!

[@auranizharu]

What's the book of the mini with the werewolf on the cover?

[@ViridianForests]

The least hyped book I love the most is The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells, the first book of the Raksura series set in the Three Worlds. I can't believe everyone is always talking about her Murderbot novellas when she has some seriously incredible high fantasy books under her belt that came out just before Murderbot! It's got flying shapeshifters, strange alien cultures and a huge and fascinating world. The stories are a little simple, but you kind of need them to be to take in the sheer amount of unfamiliar and fascinating details the world holds. Obviously, Martha Wells is not a small name, but she's written a lot of books and you don't really hear about them as much. I find Murderbot fine enough, but I really love the Raksura books and The Wheel of Infinite, a standalone novel.

[@TairineSan]

My favorite genre are fantasy and sci fi, but i really enjoy nonfiction books, because i learn so much from them, definitely i'm going to check that one out. Thanks for the anime suggestion, i was looking for a new one to watch .

[@mischarowe]

Thank-you for the video/recommendations. :)

[@Sisichapters15]

I love The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott

[@cmeeki4]

I just downloaded this book.

[@miyayume_eclectic_dream]

I do like this list! Yeah, The Apothecary Diaries is reaally great! Love the manga AND the anime. The anime did follow the manga faitfully. Then I read further in Light Novel and the manga vol 12 does follow the core of story out of LN. So same story any medium you decide for. But for now I will wait for anime sequel and read some other books from my TBR☺️

[@rosannebowman8557]

I really love Lindsay Buroker's books. :)

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I have a copy of spin of fate! I need to pick it up soon!

[@GwenCooper-l1b]

Me too!😂

[@JustaCamiDash]

You should maybe read The Cradle series by Will Wight and do a review📖

[@ivylilybasket]

Foul Days is indeed so underrated! I think the publisher's comparison to Uprooted and the Witcher hurts the reception of this book because everyone focuses on how it's NOT like its comps instead of what it is as its own self. It has elements of cozy, adventure and urban fantasy while being unique secondary world with early 20th century tech and magic instead of being the "standard pseudo-medieval fantasy" a lot of people expect (Slavic = forests, snows, quaint villages aesthetic). I wish people treated "this is different than Uprooted and the Witcher" as a positive, original spin rather than "a disappointment". I think it's a really good read for someone who feels "growing out of YA" but doesn't want something grimdark or bogged down in extremely expansive worldbuilding / epic story. It's a perfect "crossover" title with lots of adventure and fairly subdued romance for those tired of spicy romantasy dominance on the market.

[@sydneyg9109]

Can anyone tell me what her outro song is from? I think it’s the Witcher but I’m struggling to find the full version anywhere. It’s so pretty!

[@becausereadingis]

Omg I have been reading the manga! It is amazing, and I haven't found anyone else who knows it!

[@RabidSquirrelGaming]

I really loved Reign and Ruin, I got so excited to find a new series with interesting politics and magic, and with a romance that I could believe! I'm not usually one for romance so it was nice to find! I will say I did hit a brick wall when I got to the second one tho 😅 I am NOT a fan of massive size difference between male and female lead, and their "romance" such as it was felt insta love and very out of place/character for both of them, especially the man. I didn't get to know more about them before they just threw themselves at each other, and towards 75% he was exhibiting some very proprietary tendencies that I do NOT vibe with. Also the main woman from the last book, the princess, seems to be totally acting out of character, not trusting her lover, not seeing the bigger picture, and not having any sympathy for a family she essentially got thrown out of their home due to her political interference. Ground that series to a halt honestly, and while each book seems independent and I could jump into the next ones, I'm really hesitant to do so now.

[@nicoleneedschocolate]

I totally get what you’re saying and I felt similar. I kind of forced myself through storm and shield (it’s one a lot of people struggle with) but I think I might be able to offer some clarifications that could help. With Naime acting different, I agree, her not trusting makram’s word on that family’s reliability was a bit odd but I think we also have to recognize that our perception is colored by the fmc’s contextual lens. Aysel can’t read Naime or Naime’s relationship to makram very well because Naime puts on a cold facade to almost everyone else. In my head canon, I think Naime is distrustful towards them partially because she’s considering factors that Makram isn’t. She has to deal with the political fall out with her viziers if she makes any missteps so she’s hesitant to move until she has all of the pieces to make a solid judgment. I would recommend you push through book two. Once you’re through book two, you could jump into book three OR you could read the prequel. The prequel is the most similar to R&R and the pining is so flipping sweet. Seriously, it has no business being that good. I think it could reignite your love for the series and cleanse your palette from Storm & Shield. Book three is great too, but in a totally different way. The FMC there has a lot of past trauma while the MMC is like Han Solo and Andy Dwyer had a baby. He is hilarious and silly but he’s also driven to do a lot of good in the world. They are nothing like N&M and I could see people saying they have insta live, but it’s not. It’s insta attraction and they’re just very forthright about it. Their flirting and openness about their attraction is very different from most romantasy which is fun. Book four has a lot of connections to the prequel (most people recommend the prequel after book 3 but you can read it at anytime) and, again, is more similar to R&R in terms of how the romance develops. The FMC and her love for her family seem so genuine and she’s exactly what Ihsan needs. A LOT of the fans often say they love I&I as much as R&R. …now that I’m through all of that, I really wanna know what you don’t like about bashir. I also had qualms with him, but I’m intrigued to hear your thoughts. And I’m sorry for my long comment.

[@RabidSquirrelGaming]

@nicoleneedschocolate no no this was fascinating to read! I appreciate the encouragement and your thoughts on the way Naime acts! Bashir, the guy in the 2nd book, towards the end when he figures out the FMC has to make a choice between essentially being stuck in place or living free, gets internally unreasonably angry because he feels the FMC will choose to leave, that she will choose freedom over being tied down, over *him* and this life he has planned for them. He doesn't even KNOW her, I feel N&M in the first book had waaaay more time to understand each other before they started pining and wanting to be in each other's future. I am also personally very very against situations that force a woman to choose between freedom and man, because as someone who has chosen to live her own life free of the constraints that come with intense romantic relationships, it feels very "Hallmark" to me when a woman picks a man over her own dreams and wants. So I was also angry with Naime, for making the FMC choose between staying and being part of the Circle business the FMC wanted no part of, or leaving and never seeing her family again. Naime is part of the reason they got run out of their hometown; and she keeps putting the FMC in a corner even after knowing that? But yeah, Bashir just felt way to proprietary over the FMC (I can't remember her name lol) despite knowing her for like 4 days or something. The whole "earth means steady and consistent and loyal" thing was thrown out to try and justify it it seemed, but I don't jive with that. I did get to 75%, I tried to finish, but I already knew she'd pick to stay so she could see her family and be with rhe hot guy she's been climbing like a tree, and I just didn't want to see her get stuck in a situation with a guy who was always hovering, always not wanting her to get hurt or leave his sight, not trusting her to be capable on her own. He has a few moments where he tries, but his constant hovering and trying to protect someone who is honestly more powerful than him felt silly and trite. And proprietary lol, of her future and her state of being. I get being worried about a loved one, but I prefer stories where the guy will be basically nonchalant about his lover kicking ass, or really proud, or right next to her kicking ass. Not always worried she's gonna get hurt, but trusting her. Anyways, I'm sure that was much longer and meandering than it needed to be 😁 you were very succinct in your thoughts and I do not do that well! I am tempted to jump ahead to 3, but I might grab the prequel honestly, it looked good but I was iffy on it, but if it's close to the first one I'll definitely give it a go!

[@nicoleneedschocolate]

@@RabidSquirrelGaming so funny story, I totally agree with all of your qualms. 😂 I felt their love was a bit…fast? Like there wasn’t a solid reason for them to be into each other besides Aysel thinking bashir was hot. Now if Bashir was a dude who’s whole life was about him being in charge and making decisions and being in control but then when he’s with aysel he likes handing that control over because he knows she can handle the responsibility…that could be dope. It’s kind of like the “he mean to everyone but her trope” except it’s “he doesn’t trust anyone to not be incompetent but her.” But alas! And if they were on again off again maybe I could understand that and that could have added a hilarious dynamic to the series, though it might frustrate the HEA crowd. Of all the books, use and bashir’s story is the weakest IMO. Oh and I totally agree about Naime strong arming aysel into the circle, that was pretty cold. But I stand by what I said before-the prequel was wonderful. I was skeptical going into it and they sold me. Hook, line, and sinker. If you end up reading it and like it, I’d love to hear back. If you hate it, pretend you didn’t see this comment because I will take no slander of those bumbling lil lovebirds 😂

[@Adrianself]

Thanks!

[@thewitchyreader6131]

I love hidden gems!

[@Jacksonfordauthor]

Hi Elliott. I'd like to interview you for my author newsletter, talking about how you put your videos together and the world of BookTube. What is the most appropriate email to send the details to? Thanks!

[@jickeez0704]

❤

[@kueri440]

woman

[@laurenschenck5355]

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives this is so emotional and really good book definitely needs more hype and attention 🎃🤎🤎🤎💛🤎🤎🤎🐴🖤🍃🍃🍂🍁🍁🍃🍃📖📙📚📙📖📖📚📚📙📖📙📚📙📖📖📖📙📙🎃🎃🤎🤎💛👻👻👻👻🤎🤎🎃🎃🖤🖤🍃🖤🖤🍃🍃🍃🍁🍁📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📙📖📙🍃🍃🖤🍁🍁🍂🍁👻👻🍁🍂🍂