Drowning in Greek Books + 2 New All-Time Favs - AUGUST READS

[@karalis290]

3:15 I've been waiting for someone to make a fondly joke! Every time I hear about Jade City it's all I can think about. Bravo, Ed 🤣

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Hahaha I''ll be here all week! Ed

[@allthekingsbooks]

Absolutely love Killer of Men and the whole series is just absolutely wonderful.

[@thebrothersgwynne]

I need to read the rest of the series! Ed

[@allthekingsbooks]

@@thebrothersgwynne It's a bit funny that I only read this series after you mentioned it last year or even longer ago, and here I am egging you on now to continue with it 🙂

[@robertbecker2379]

I just finished reading Malice and wow I loved it! Can’t wait to read the rest of the series and all other papa Gwynne books!

[@OhioEddieBlack]

If you can, I highly recommend finding someone to buddy-read the series with. It's one of those stories that make you want to talk about it with somebody, like go into work the next day and say stuff like "I can't believe so-and-so did (whatever plot twisty thing)"! And have someone say back to you "I KNOW, RIGHT?" So much fun that way :0)

[@thebrothersgwynne]

So glad you enjoyed it! Ed

[@vajs6312]

Between Two Fires sounds very much like the videogame A Plague Tale: Innocence and the sequel Requiem and is just the level of bleakness I'm looking for in a medieval setting, thanks for the recommendation! Also: bring the corgi back in your videos!

[@thebrothersgwynne]

I've seen videos of A Plague Tale and definitely see the resemblance. Haha we'll get her back soon! Ed

[@PTHylton]

Ooo, I've been looking for some classical-era Greek books to read. Thanks fellas!

[@OhioEddieBlack]

The thing I like about Stone Blind or any retelling of Medusa's story pre-Theseus is that she's always painted as a villain and it irritates the bejesus out of me that she was punished for messing around with a guy, but of course once again (in Greek mythology) the female was punished and the male walked away despite that they both committed the same infraction. And even worse, she's punished by another female! You only need to read a scant handful of Greek myths and you can get a pretty good idea of what the mentality was back then regarding men's rights and women's rights, or lack thereof. I don't envy the females of that time period to be certain. Except maybe the Spartans; ironically (albeit arguably) the only ancient Greek city state who treated women like they had any value with maybe the exception of Eleusis.

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Completely agree! Basically half of 'Heroes' by Stephen Fry was women being punished for the actions of Zeus. I definitely need to learn more about Sparta! Hopefully Stone Blind sets a premise for a similar re-imagination of the other 'monsters' of Greek Myth. Will

[@samrisna5890]

There’s a really excellent novella called “Here the World Entire” that grapples really well with the betrayal Medusa feels towards Athena, both for bit protecting her and then punishing her. The entire book is the conversations Medusa and Theseus are having as he tries to convince her to come out of the cave.

[@esmayrosalyne]

Oooh comparing Pat Barker to Robin Hobb... high praise! Also very intrigued by Glorious Exploits, never thought a book with pottery could sound so interesting lol. And I guess I should give Buehlman a second chance after not loving Blacktongue... My favourite read of August was Asunder by Kerstin Hall, which is now also my new favourite book of 2024!

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Barker deserves some kinda crown! Haha totally agree about Glorious Exploits, it's daft and shouldn't work but it just does. I wasn't mad on Blacktongue if that helps, Daughters' War is completely different. Ed

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@thebrothersgwynne oooh that is really good to know that Blacktongue wasn't the biggest hit for you either, makes me even more excited to give Buehlman a second chance!

[@heidi6281]

So glad you love Buehlman’s Between Two Fires!! I am trying to read his entire catalogue, I just started The Necromancer’s House today! The Lesser Dead is also super, it is all about the humor and Joey Peacock is my favorite vampire, even better than Spike from Buffy.

[@thebrothersgwynne]

After Ed's thoughts, I have now started The Daughter's War, and it is amazing! What is your favourite Buehlman work so far? Will

[@heidi6281]

@@thebrothersgwynne If I had to rank in order of best but so far I have loved them all Blacktongue, Daughter’s War, Between Two Fires & Lesser Dead… Buehlman is working on the sequel to Blacktongue right now! I did notice that Buehlman’s prose is at its best in Daughter. The overall experience with Buehlman’s narration of Blacktongue edges Daughter out. His first book, Those Across the River is a werewolf book on my tbr. Watch his minimaster class in monsters on the scifi addict channel.

[@Dugrath]

I cannot wait to read Daughters War and Between Two Fires even more now. They've been on my shelf for a bit! Thanks Ed!

[@corvinscorner]

I always compare Jade City to Peaky Blinders + martial arts meets Succession. Glad you both enjoyed it!

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Great comparison! Ed

[@pippastar1606]

Big Pressfield fan here - also for his writing on creativity. Actually never read Gates of Fire - so will do now. Nice one!

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Gates of Fire is his big masterpiece so I’m sure you’ll love it! Ed

[@mbyte84]

“The sarissa’s song is a sad song. He pipes it soft and low. I would ply a gentler trade, says he, But war is all I know.”

[@thebrothersgwynne]

❤️

[@stevehoran6011]

I’m just reading Name of the Wind now, and I have to agree with you, I do enjoy the storytelling method of someone telling their story to a chronicler.

[@verity231]

Always so many great recs from you guys! You've really made me hyped up for Papa Gwynne's books. Can't wait to start the journey. You make a really strong case for Pat Barker (and there was another similar book - The Wolf Den?), but I'm a bit worried that all the horrific stuff which probably happens in the books may be difficult to stomach for me. Speaking of retellings and women's perspectives, have you ever read The Book Of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd? It’s a beautiful beautiful book with great research behind it. I literally couldn’t put it down, even though it’s not what you'd call an action packed story. Highly recommend it.

[@nickygoldsmith7673]

Gates of Fire was my 2nd book of the year, loved it. The Greenbone Saga keeps getting better every book, enjoy. I was looking at the silence of the girls on my Goodreads tbr, wondering how it appeared there. Clearly from you guys. I have Of Blood and Bone arriving today. A time of courage is the final book in the banished lands (for now 😉) Stone blind added to list. The Shauna Lawless books are hovering near my basket. The Gemmell books are already on the list. Between two fires already on the list. A solid month of reading for you guys. What we really need though is some Greek recommendations please, cheers.

[@heidi6281]

Ed I think Daughter’s War reminded me of Gates of Fire the most. What do you think about that comparison?

[@jacobfrederiksen3183]

Have either of you read any of Goldsworthy's historical fiction? Hello from Australia!

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

The kings of historical fiction! Oh man I can’t wait to try all of these books set in ancient Greece!

[@caitlinl2750]

I’ve read all but five!🎉

[@RiddlesOfSteel]

Jade City is so damn good.

[@MacScarfield]

"The SIlence of the Girls" is heartbreaking, and I actually just read book #1 in the "Rigante" series, "Sword in the Storm". I feel Celtic inspired Historical Fiction/Fantasy/S&S is really fitting for the Autumn Season, so might get to both Manda Scott's "Dreaming the Eagle" and Shauna Lawless "Gael Song" later this year! In August I finished Part 1 & 2 of “To Green Angel Tower” by Tad Williams (Epic Fantasy, final «novel(s)» in the “Memory, Sorrow & Thorn” “Trilogy”), Michael Moorcock’s “The Warlord of the Air” (Multiverse Time Travel Steampunk? ), and “The Thousandfold Thought” (Epic Dark/Grimdark Fantasy, the final novel in the «Prince of Nothing» Trilogy) by R. Scott Bakker.

[@samrisna5890]

You’ve both read so much historical fiction, have you read any of Colleen McCollough’s Masters of Rome series? It’s flawed, but also so comprehensive and the early books especially deal with a period that’s a bit underrepresented in Roman fiction. Also, there’s an absolutely bizarre anti-fanfiction series called The Other Rome, supposedly written by Tito Kithes Athano that is a weird and wild ride!

[@OhioEddieBlack]

The King Must Die was SOOOOOO good. I really need to read more Renault. Do you know she wasn't even a historian? Mind blown. BBC did a show on her forever ago. It's old and the videography is hokey, but the interviews with people who knew her and the scholars who studied her are really interesting.

[@YaFeya13]

Persian boy by her was heartbreakingly beautiful 🥺

[@safinan8008]

Great video 🎥

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Thanks Safina! Ed

[@noname3609]

A time of Courage the goat Empire of the Damned is so good btw😮

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Great choices there! Ed

[@playermartin286]

Are david gemmell’s books grounded or is there a lot of jokey jokes silliness in them?

[@thebrothersgwynne]

I think there might be 1 joke per book. Not funny, very serious, sometimes bleak, but very hopeful too. The OG Papa Gwynne imo! Ed

[@playermartin286]

@@thebrothersgwynne nice. I think i’m gonna pick one up. Seems like my kind of fantasy book

[@mudgetheexpendable]

Played my first and to date only game of D&D in 1977...too much like math class for me. JFYI Mary's surname isn't like the car company, it's renAWLT. /pedantry My latest Greek myth read was unsuccessful b/c the myth squicks twenty-first century me: THE PALACE OF EROS, transferring Eros-the-sex-abuser into an enby soul. *ew* nonetheless.