Fantasy Books Everyone Loves...But Reddit Hates

[@libraryofaviking]

Thank you to my Patreons who paid for the editing of this video ❤❤❤

[@Barnes-ml9wg]

Deadhouse Gates is the worst book in the series if it's any consolation.

[@vincenthychow1119]

I am a heavy gamer. Gamers always say "a game for everyone is a game for no one". I think the same is true for books, especially fantasy books which are, pretty much similar to a game world. If a book is not for you, then it's not for you and that's alright. If somebody doesn't like your favourite book, then they just can't enjoy it and it's also fine. I love Brandon Sanderson but I do understand that his work can be awful to some people, especially his super intensive scientific approach to magic.

[@jellevanbreugel325]

@@seymourpant shots fired! 🤣

[@saraswatmajumdar1630]

Yes but that just apply for you not for everyone right ? You should mention that .

[@Eluarelon]

That's basically it. And I couldn't care less if someone doesn't like the same stuff than I do. What bothers me sometimes if people think that not liking something think they are in their right to completely trash something by telling complete nonsense about it. Which we have at least one glaring example of in this very comment section. But then why would I care about a comment from a random nobody on the internet. There are a few people whose opinions I really have come to respect or even trust, there are a few more that I like well enough to listen to them even if I disagree with them a lot of times, but in the end, everyone's got his own taste, and that's actually a wonderful thing. Just don't make stupid and offensive comments, because that always reflects bad on you, not on your topic of choice.

[@saraswatmajumdar1630]

@@Eluarelon exactly my point . Just because he doesn’t like it doesn’t make the book automatically bad

[@Hellsing7747]

Art is subjective... and I really disagree with some gamers who think that a game who is for everyone is for none. And I think the same is true for books and movies. It really depends on many things. It's not as simple.

[@bethanyreed1146]

Samantha Shannon (author of The Priory of the Orange Tree) has said in interviews she wrote a longer ending for TPotOT but her editors made her cut it down and now it's her biggest regret that she didn't fight them on it. A Day of Fallen Night is such an improvement and is one of my all time favourite books! Highly recommend you still give it a go!

[@williamburns3823]

For authors there are things you can do if you don’t want to do what editors say but as an avid reader I’d say my biggest advice or rather perhaps critique to an author would be, “ your editor is your best friend” I’ve read plenty of books that left me thinking “ yeah this could have used some editing down”

[@rhaibi12]

Fallen Night was miles better than Priory.

[@mattwhite4302]

@@rhaibi12 Priory is still a pretty darn good read, even so

[@jax426nd]

I agree with Reddit on Addie LaRue. When I finished it, I was like, "wow... I get why no one remembered her in the story." I just didn't feel she was a memorable character.

[@bluemage67]

Not to mention her hooking up with the 'demon' guy she made that deal with in the first place.

[@kimmycupreacts]

Agree!

[@michellexbeauty9832]

Rightttttt omg. I expected so much more from that book.

[@erikaeriksson9840]

I liked the concept, I just think that book wasn't written for me, it was written with one of my daughters in mind. 😅

[@angeld3085]

What books are overhyped? Basically any average YA Romantasy book.

[@donaldpratt2296]

Hard to be more overhyped than “the series that got me interested in fantasy when I was 15.”

[@sebastianvicewriter]

Here’s my suggestion for Malazan. Accept you’ll be confused for each book. And take it scene by scene. If you can relax into confusion, you’ll be fine ☺️

[@YaFeya13]

Relax into confusion, I like that! However, I stopped after book one, I was so mesmerized by the prose, but could not understand a thing that was happening, and for such long book you need it to keep going. Such a shame, the writing is spectacular.🥹

[@sebastianvicewriter]

@@YaFeya13 totally understand why people tap out. It’s one of my favorite series, but it’s rough lol.

[@LibraryonLegs]

🤭 on audio, this is not a choice but a way of life 🤣

[@YaFeya13]

@@sebastianvicewriter I might try it again, maybe something will click, I love getting so long series 🥹

[@sebastianvicewriter]

@@YaFeya13 I’m a Malazan fan, obviously, but I feel as if other fans don’t properly prepare readers. As you know, Erikson is allergic to exposition. He will never explain anything lol. He’s another good way of conceptualizing it. Imagine you’re an alien dropped onto earth during WWII. You have the European theater of war, the pacific theater, and the African theater. And you experience it all. Just experience it. In other words, what Erikson is doing, I think, is *showing* a story, and not *telling* a story. You’re witnessing events through the eyes of hundreds of characters.

[@thecompendium9607]

FYI...the two timeline thing was done to perfection by Octavia Butler in Kindred. Which was written in 1979.

[@EC_Vegas]

Finished Wheel of Time earlier this year and loved it! Had its slog. But so worth it.

[@Laura-ph9yv]

I quit halfway through the series when I was in high school because I felt it got boring, and figured it would never get an ending. The second I realized Sanderson was going to take over, I restarted from the first book and read the entire thing. I didn't like it nearly as much as malazan or stormlight, but definitely worth reading and pushing through the boring parts.

[@YashPatel-ez4um]

This is a great video idea! I would love to see more content like this! This was really fun to watch!

[@TeHNyboR]

The Justice of Kings is way overhyped imo. I read it and the world was intriguing but overall it was just fine. Helena was a poor choice for a narrator imo. I get she’s a teenager, but her character went from a closed off former street urchin to whiny and bratty so often it gave me whiplash. If her character was removed altogether or at least not given the narration it would’ve been a lot better and probably one of my favorites

[@mdtrtwlt]

I 100% agree with you about Helena as a narrator and whatever weird infatuation she had for Vonvalt

[@serpenttailedangel]

I do think Sanderson is maybe a little over-hyped. He's not a bad author by any stretch. He is, in fact, quite good. But the number of times I've mentioned I like fantasy books and had him recommended to me compared the litany of other quite good authors is pretty impressive. If you're not going to make a personalized recommendation based on a more detailed grasp of my takes, you ought to at least toss in a more obscure recommendation while talking to me as if i haven't heard of the guy with the most successful kickstarter ever.

[@MorningStarSunsoar]

He is too overhyped. I don’t think he is awful but there are a lot of better authors out there. He’s just popular right now, is a decent introduction to fantasy and writes a lot of books lol. Honestly any time you recommend any author or book you really need to take into account what someone else likes. If you like grim dark/norse mythology maybe don’t recommend *insert inappropriate book*, but The Shadow of the Gods is a solid pick

[@Willy_Warmer]

@@MorningStarSunsoar He isn't overhyped lol. He's a good author, simple as that. Being recommended a lot isn't what makes an author overhyped. If people constantly said he was the greatest writer of all time, then yeah, he would be overhyped. But they don't. He's just consistent in both quality and timeliness (with his releases), and overall a good author. So he gets recommended a lot. You can't pretend like he's "overhyped" and then fail to critique his writing in any way. It just tells everyone that you personally didn't like whichever of his books you decided to try and read and decided that was everything you needed to know. You guys have to stop reading books and then using those to form your opinions of the author. Unless you read every single one of their books, you can't form an accurate opinion on them, just on the books you read.

[@MorningStarSunsoar]

@@Willy_Warmer I’ve read quite a few of his books and a ton of other fantasy authors. I haven’t read all of his books but if you have to read EVERY single one to determine if someone is good or not there might be a problem there lol. I’m on TikTok a lot and there are a lot of people that treat Brandon Sanderson like he is the best thing since sliced bread and I really think they would benefit from reading more books in the genre or in general. His strength is being able to write a lot of books in a timely manner however he has a tendency of over explaining himself to the point that his books are predictable and he doesn’t always do a good job of differentiating his characters from each other. Well of Ascension and Hero of Ages were particularly bad with it and could have benefited from a lot of trimming down. It just seems like he treats his readers like they’re unintelligent to an extent with how he approaches some of his stories. You obviously like him a lot as an author and that’s okay. I still stand by him not being awful and will continue reading his books, he just isn’t as good as some of the other fantasy authors out there.

[@serpenttailedangel]

@@Willy_Warmer I think you can be both good AND overhyped. I also think that you don't need to read literally every single book by an author to have an opinion on them. Judging an author with a massive library purely by their first work is one thing, but if you've read a decent sampling of their works or the books that people like to hold up as their best and you notice consistent flaws, then that's another. But that's just me being pedantic. I don't have any real qualms with Sanderson's writing or him as a person. I just find it obnoxious that there's a lot of other similarly quality writers, yet I mostly see people just recommend Sanderson and Sanderson alone, even when speaking to people who have enough familiarity with the space that they're likely already aware of him.

[@williamjarrett5411]

i think if you make it to the end of malazan you won’t walk away thinking of it as just okay. I’m in book 9 right now and unless something crazy happens that changes my mind it’s going to go down as my favorite work of fiction for me I really think you should try it again. I know everyone is saying you should try to make it to the end of deadhouse gates and i’m going to say you at least should too. After deadhouse the world starts to become a great deal more comprehensible and that ending is insane. deadhouse is probably my second or third favorite in the series imo

[@andybarker8787]

Totally agree. Why would you read this much and not enjoy it. Malazan is the absolute high watermark for fantasy in my view. I doubt it will ever be topped for me.

[@chokog2446]

Malazan is Absolutely awesome!

[@EricMcLuen]

A lot of crazy stuff does happen but in an awesome way.

[@Nixonaut]

I hear this, but I also very much struggle with this narrative around Mazalan: “the first 2000-3000 pages of the series are rough and you’ll be really confused, but then it’ll get better” is a BIG ask of a new reader with no confidence that the author can pull it off. I remember being 300 pages deep in the first book and realizing I had no clue what was really going on and setting it aside because I had other things to read. I think about how Sanderson tells people to read something of his other than Stormlight first because it takes like 100 pages before you get to a consistent main plot. Mazalan feels like that ten times over :) Someday I’ll go back and try it again…

[@andybarker8787]

@@Nixonaut I hear this a lot. Honestly I never had this problem from page one I was hooked. The narrative does ask things of the reader but mainly just to be ok with not understanding everything at first.

[@kentrallos9617]

I read the first Malazan book 3 times, felt lost and then just read all of them without stopping. I missed a lot, but it was still great. I imagine reading it again would make it even better. Maybe I will.

[@Laura-ph9yv]

Have you read outside the core 10 books? They're not as good as malazan itself, but absolutely worth reading.

[@kentrallos9617]

@Laura-ph9yv I have not I'll have to do that after my next re read

[@Laura-ph9yv]

@kentrallos9617 I believe there are... either 16 or 18 books now? One trilogy is a prequel, so could arguably be read before you hit malazan again if you wanted a bridge.

[@IronDiggy]

I just finished the 3rd malazan book and feel like I'm finally getting a grasp as to what is going on in the world. I'll probably be confused all over again once I start the 4th book but I've been enjoying it so much that I'm here for it.

[@YaFeya13]

The Red Rising is absolutely terrific and definitely gets better with each book. I don’t care if somebody doesn’t like it, I’ve read a ton and for me nothing even comes close. Well, not true, it’s the Lord of the rings, the song of ice and fire, and then the red rising. I am considering stopping in the middle of book 4 of the sun eater series. I can see the themes and curious how they will come together, but the story just drags on, and I can’t seem to care about anyone.🙁 I guess for each its own, and isn’t it the great thing?

[@quiche5882]

Yesss this is it Red Rising is amazing. And exactly your three plus Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings round out my clear top 4.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

Try the Sun Eater series. Even better

[@YaFeya13]

@ I did, quit in the middle of book 3. I know I am in the minority. I just don’t care, my emotions are not involved at all lol and that’s unfortunate. I love caring for the characters read about. There isn’t a single friendship or romantic involvement. That is truly important you know? Unlike the red rising…..

[@HariREALLY]

What's the purple hardcover on the right? Have been seeing it on many channels

[@TedReadInstead]

Hey... I'm just glad my boy FitzChivalry and the Farseer Trilogy didn't show up. I adore Ms. Hobb and I will challenge ANYBODY who says differently!

[@jrpgnation6375]

What the book about?

[@libraryofaviking]

100 agree!

[@LoneWolf1986]

The Farseer trilogy is what got me into Fantasy, I will always be an avid defender of that series.

[@LoganardoDVinci]

I'll be that guy - I DNF Royal Assassin because Fitz annoyed me so much 😅

[@sheepcouldtalk]

LOVE the Farseer books, the Fool is one of my favorite characters

[@valliyarnl]

Addie LaRue is one of Johans favorite standalones?! Wow plot twist

[@libraryofaviking]

LOVE THAT BOOK!

[@JolieHoneypie]

@@libraryofaviking but why? Addie suffers from a serious case of arrested development. I had trouble believing she's more than 300 years old considering her motives, reactions and emotional immaturity.

[@Tetsujin-28]

Malice: I felt like it was written my a high school football captain. "Are you not loyal?!" "I shall name you Shield." Priory: 2 big plots holes that no one mentions. (Niclays Roos/Nayimathun) (Aubrecht: Mentendon. You'd think they'd say, "WTF?!")

[@charissawilkinson9270]

This sounds a lot like someone who has noticed that these books have a lot of 5 star reviews, and assumed that they would be good. You have to consider the genre, sub-genre, and if you like certain tropes.

[@zacharyshaye6111]

Malazan changed my life and imo the best character work aside from robin hobb and it did have my favorite ending to a series 😅

[@OnyxSkiesXIX]

If you try Malazan again, as a massive fan of the series that struggled with it, I have two tips: first, it is ok to use guides as you read. It can really help clue you in to the things to pay attention to. Second, and oppositely, it is totally ok to not know what is going on. If you can just hang on for the ride, Erikson will spell things out to you when they are relevant and important. Guessing “twists” ahead of time from foreshadowing is always cool, but Erikson will pretty much always make things explicit when it is time.

[@DAGDRUM53]

Wheel of Time, a 15 book series that could have been told in 5.

[@glory4645]

Please, maybe in 10 and it would be perfect. 😊

[@kevins4254]

Yes, and that's why I only got through Book 4. Then I heard a 4 book slog was coming soon. Ugh. No thanks.

[@glory4645]

​@@kevins4254I'm big fan I just think books needed better editing. I think Jordans wife was his editor, I'm sure she is capable but it certainly didn't make her objective while editing her husband's books. 🙁

[@Steppeponytail]

3 and done. Could not stand being around the whiney ‘Protagonist’ any longer. When I think back about it (many many years ago) the ‘worldbuilding’ felt barfed out. An endless barrage of details that really want to impress the gaming party but absolutely ignores an organic sense of place. Ironically, the show (for all its problems) at least understood the need for editing…and man did WoT need a weedwhacker in the editing room.

[@DAGDRUM53]

@@glory4645 Harriet Rigney was indeed his editor and it looked she skim read the books. I know she made up the chapter titles as Jim would just write Chapter 799; she also commissioned the woodcut icons above the chapter titles. But TOR bigwig Tom Doherty was the real villain of the piece. After Fires of Heaven he told Rigney/Jordan to take his time and not kill the WOT golden goose. Had he finished WOT in he would've also had time to write his Infinity of Heaven trilogy he was planning prior to his passing. It was originally to be called Shipwrecked and would've involved a sailor in his mid-30s washed up on the shore of a Seanchan-like society in a realm reminiscent of Belgium. The idea came to Rigney after reading Shogun by James Clavell.

[@inge1428]

I love Samantha Shannon's books, I liked Priory, but A Day of Fallen Night is in a very different league - so good. But her superior series is The Bone Season series. It's a 7 book series (with book 5 coming out in february), so there's much more time to build everything up and get to epic finales where everything comes together.

[@ryanokane1312]

I also totally understand having a hard time getting through Malazan, I quit my first time around book 4, and I'm now taking a bit of a break after book 8. You just need so much patience to swap from one group of characters to another and wait for a payoff which could be four books away. But my man... the most epic moments I've ever experienced while reading have happened during those books. The chain of dogs in particular feels like the most epic movie that could never be made. Just incredible. I still just think about sequences in that book years later. I get that lots of people feel lost while reading it, it can be really frustrating, and if it's not your bag, that's totally fine. But it makes you feel like you’ve popped your head through a window into another fully formed fantasy world without an author, it's just going on as it always has, and if you just stick around long enough, you’ll figure it all out. You have to get comfortable with the feeling of not understanding everything, you’re not supposed to always understand everything thats going on. It makes it feel it's as if you're discovering the story as it's happening. I've never felt as fully immersed as I do towards the end of a Malazan book when all the threads of the story come together. Just the most tragic, cool, funny, heartbreaking, epic moments that could not happen in any other way, or in any other book. That being said, if you're really not vibing with a character or story arc (as I wasn't with Felisin in Deadhouse Gates), it becomes a real chore to get through because they're may be a whole book in front of you. But if you can stick through it, I found I always end up feeling like it was worth it to get there. I really wasn't loving the fifth book, Midnight Tides, and DNFed it the first time and gave up on the series. It was just so totally different from every other book with basically no characters from the previous entries. But honestly, the characters introduced in that book have become some of my favorites. Tehol and Bugg have one of the most fun dynamics of any two characters I've ever read, just hilarious. No hate for anyone who doesn’t love it, people like different things. But I’m so glad I went back and tried again. I needed to take a breather because honestly things start to blur together. But I’m planning on starting book 9 soon and I can’t wait to dive back in. P.S. Getting comfortable being confused at times is great and all…. but the Wiki is also super helpful if you like read a chapter and think “What the hell just happened” They have spoiler free chapter summaries of everything, and breakdowns of characters with spoiler warnings so you can know what you’re supposed to know at a given point. I recommend it if you’re feeling so lost its just not fun any more.

[@AngHemenway]

Just found your channel and I'm curious, do you have a list of underhyped books? Would be super interested to know what those are 🥰🥰

[@libraryofaviking]

@@AngHemenway Here you go! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXPLpKKVq6mSpqssi=_f1saoRstNk071H9

[@AngHemenway]

@@libraryofaviking watching now thank you!

[@ТатьянаНовикова-х4с]

Why always using the priory of the orange tree as an example of a bad book or sth, it's really a good book, that many people love 🥺

[@nooneeey]

Your personality is so lovable watching your videos always brightens my day!

[@MorningStarSunsoar]

I have read way too many fantasy books lol. Between 200-300. The Kingkiller Books are so good! I hope they get finished. His prose is fantastic. John Gwynne is also a fantastic author. Loved the Bloodsworn trilogy, gonna read Malice next. He is probably my favorite newer author I’ve discovered since getting back into reading. And I’ve read Mistborn, Stormlight (still in progress to be fair), and the standalones and I don’t think he is bad but def overhyped. Mostly because he has a tendency to over explain and repeat the same information too much. Well of Ascension and Hero of Ages could have both easily been shorter if the pacing was better and the unnecessary repetition was cut 😅

[@kimmycupreacts]

Sorry Johan, I absolutely agree about Addie Larue. I hated it lol.

[@FranklyItsMe]

If Hobb’s Elderlings series left you feeling ripped off, exhausted, depressed and or furious at an unending cycle of stupidity and character assassination, I HIGHLY recommend Red Rising trilogy. And the Faithful & the Fallen. The first protagonist is intelligent and self-aware, he’s not perfect but he’s not stupid. His reactions are understandable as he’s the product of his environment. Where Fitz’s author never gave him autonomy or insight. It was so heartbreaking. Not because of Fitz’s ends but because the author treated her readers with no respect and a LOT of condescension. So it was refreshing to get a fast paced series with an astute main character in Red Rising. The Faithful and the Fallen was is and will always remain a favorite. Period. Thrilled to have read an epic fantasy that dealt with loss, love, friendship, diversity, humanity, grief and endurance while characters are battling within themselves to fight for good or for evil. I really believe that the order in which I’ve read these series has been the reason I’ve loved each one so much - yes even Realm of the Elderlings (Tawny Man Trilogy is by far the best trilogy so far). I make sure I choose variants of the genre so I can’t easily compare them. What I lacked in RotE, I found in RR, what was missing there, I found in TF&tF, and hence, as it was very violent (phenomenal but still violent) I am finding just gorgeous elevated yet super short-winded prose in the Earthsea cycle. As readers we trend towards critical thought so I hope people use that skill to choose works that will diversely impact their senses. It will probably lead the reader to find more genres or subsets of genres that they will most likely enjoy immensely. ✌🏻

[@Thagomizer]

The Night Circus, definitely. This should have been a walking simulator, or point-and-click adventure game.

[@VegViking]

More than any other for me: Gormenghast. Titus Groan was the singular most painful and agitating reading experience I've ever had. To say that I hate that book does not begin to convey my feelings. I was determined to finish it as a matter of research for my own writing, so I slogged through. While, yes, there are a FEW beautiful turns of phrase buried within its tedious pages, they are not worth it. I can't tell you how many times I screamed "Stop! I get it, it's f**king dreary! I heard you the last 10,000 times!" The story was more vibe than action. I don't care about the castle being a character itself, it prevented me from having anything to attach to or invest in. It should have been a poem or short story. It makes me want to slap the literary folks who glorify it, and travel back in time to slap Mervyn Peake for good measure. On the flip side though, it is the single greatest sleep aid I've found. I frequently recommend it to anyone struggling to fall asleep, as its hypnotic repetition and torpid lack of inertia readily suck the reader into the somnolent void of unconsciousness.

[@arienrhod1]

Not every book is for everyone. For example, some of the most loved fantasy books (like Tolkien, Piranesi, The Green Bone Saga) lean so heavily towards the visual that it's very difficult for someone with visual aphantasia to enjoy (I didn't). Some people can't follow a story with a ton of POV's, like The Wheel of Time or The Malazan (not a problem for me, but I know a ton of people who actively hate those). Books like ACOTAR or The Fourth Wing belong to a pretty narrow genre and are written for people seeking a very specific experience - and they deliver splendlidly, as long as that's what you're looking for. The Fourth Wing and its sequel are pretty funny in this regard, now that I think about it, at least when it pertains to me. Basically, it's a romance + a girl's power fantasy, and I ate it up. The Name of the Wind is the other side of that coin: a boy's power fantasy (with some unnecessary to the plot erotic stuff in the sequel instead of the romance, although I can't confirm, since I haven't read the second book.) And I absolutely, utterly LOATHED The Name of the Wind. I gave it 2 out of 10 stars only because the writing was pretty, and the author deserves a star for that. What is funny about it is that, plot-wise, both of those series hit many of the same pitfalls, but I loved one and hated the other. The difference is I'm tottaly there for the girl's power fantasy, but the boy's power fantasy makes me go all bleh. Again, not every book is for everyone, and that's fine. We're just living in this strange mindspace where we think that everyone ought to feel what we feel, and our opinion is the only opinion, then get offended when someone dares not to like something we loved, or get surprised when we don't like stuff other people like. I mean, luv, when you pick up a book, do it based on your own taste instead of based on what someone tells you to do. There will be so much less DNF's and rant reviews then.

[@ernstbrehm1135]

Sorry, but I disagree on your Sanderson take. I understand that everyone has their own opinion, however, he is definitely overhyped. I’ve tried numerous times to read his books & DNF most. I only made it through The Final Empire, which was ehh. Unfortunately this is turning me away from The Wheel of Time. I really enjoyed the first book but with the “slog” & Sanderson finishing up the series, I don’t know if it’s worth it 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@mrlaw2729]

You have shit taste lol If Mistborn is not to your liking then try warbreaker and Stormlight Archive books

[@protarngonist2449]

As someone dealing with both eras of Mistborn, Michael Kramer hard carried the books, but even he can’t make the slogs of the middle segments that barely got anything interesting going on. I have dealt with books that are super slow paced, but the beautiful writing style kept me going. Sanderson’s writing style was too direct to make me immersed

[@JeantheSecond]

I’ve read a few Sanderson books and actually liked most of them okay, but I absolutely think he’s overrated. I didn’t make it through the second WoT series.

[@maryjanechilds6138]

Your criticism of Orange Tree was word-for-word same as mine. Smaug may be underused in the Hobbit, but he talks to our hero and does more damage before he's taken down. When I finished this all I could think was "That's it, that's what we were afraid of?" Until then, there were too may subplots to keep track of.

[@Mightyjordy]

I liked Sun eater. I think it was OK. I read all the books, but people who have read it talk about it like it’s the most amazing thing that’s ever been written. I think the series as a whole would probably get about a seven out of 10 for me, so I would say it’s overhyped. It’s got a few great moments, but the pacing is absolutely horrendous and characters are totally forgettable aside from a few

[@YaFeya13]

@@Mightyjordy yes, thank you, that’s exactly how I felt, I just didn’t seem to care about any of them and the story justdragged on

[@ahabgaddis7277]

I'm halfway through first book. It's entertaining me, but it's like a 7/10 so far. People are delusional putting it anywhere near a top 10 (unless it gets much better) or Fantasy genre is truly lacking talent

[@Mightyjordy]

@@ahabgaddis7277 it definitely does get better, but it also gets worse in my opinion. I certainly wouldn't put it anywhere near my top 10.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

@@ahabgaddis7277 you’re delusional rating this series when haven’t even finished the first book. Bless your little heart though, sweaty

[@ahabgaddis7277]

@@DefenestrateYourself calm down lmao. Finished it and still 7/10 btw

[@fredrikfjeld1575]

Fully understand WoT. It has some great moments, some great world building, but the problem isn't sexism. It is horribly, 1-dimentiontal women that would never fly in any other setting. 80% of all womens personality is "we hate men and men are stupid". I have pages and pages of examples written on a harddrive somewhere on just how insane it is. Like they were literally the biggest threath to humanity for the whole series. Women torturing Rand, women treating every grown man as a child, them never trusting a man (with or without magic capabilities) and so forth. Brandon Sanderson saved that series and I do not think Jordan could have done as good a job. I read them as e-book and didn't even know that Sanderson took over. I just noticed an increase uptick in quality and that the somen characters suddenly had depth and personalities! I have yet to find a single book that despicts women as such vile, evil, 1-dimentional beings as WoT. Every single Aes Sedai, and most that aren't Aes Sedai, were Disney villain cartonishly evil. When you make Jafar, Ursula and Cruela seem like reasonable, well-adjusted people in comparison to even the side characters (a bit, but not much hyperbole), then you seem to have a deep routed personal problem with women as a writer. Also, I misliked Poppy War. Interesting concept, instersting world, loved the paraleles to China and Japan, but the books got worse the more you thought about them and the more you read. It wasn't the worst, but I regret wasting my time with it. It might not be YA, but it was certainly "juvenile" in a sense, and more of a "look at this thing that happened and happens!" instead of anything in the series feeling earned or "real"

[@EarhirX]

I think I watched a trailer for the Amazon adaptation and got the feeling that it would be exactly what you described so I avoided it completely. I would really like to see some of the examples you mentioned.

[@fredrikfjeld1575]

@@EarhirX The Aes Sedai have different groups, where I think REd are the ones that are really defined by hating men and brown are the ones that take multiple Wardens and/or husbands. But even they treat their Wardens like they have an IQ of 80 most of the time and like they cannot be trusted. The smartest and oldest Aes Sedai treat the protagonist, the savior of the world, like 6 year old, and tries to humble him, punish him physically and mentally at every single instance. She wants to humiliate him in front of friends and foes alike and make him feel like he can do nothing on his own. She is the good guy here and she is evil for evils sake, just because the main character is a man. Her actions and bullying is the closest the world came to end in the story. They also constantly talk about how Rand, the progagonist should learn some manners, while they bully him, interrupt him, hit him. Every single women in the books, maybe except Mim (who is the one he modeled on his wife. Which could mean that his wife is the only women in the world the author does not hate), are manipualtive at the best of times. Almost all women that are given any page time at all say some variation of "I'm a woman, I know best. No man can do something clever, productive or do the right thing, even if they are only given one choice". Matrim, another of the main boys of the series, is treated like an imbecile and a womanizer, while being nothing but gentle and thoughtful. There are multiple plot points in the book that has as its whole premise that the women are trying to find ways to make smart ideas by the men seem dumb and to make the men feel dumber than they are. Like, they dedicate a whole lot of time and energy to this. The defenders of these actions in the series, is taht it is't a patriarcy and instead is focused around women. Fair point, except that at no point in history, has every man treated every women like that. Or even close to that. Brandon Sanderson really saved the ending of these books and I stand by the point that his books (except maybe the first few) are the best in the series. The women started to have more of a personality than "we hate men" after he took over. Jordan made a lot of effort to make the evil men (corrupted or insane) seem like better human beings than almost every women in the series. Which is a shame. The series as a whole is probably a 4 anyways, even with all its flaws, but it could have been so much better. Rant over.

[@aentreri00]

The Breaking of the World created a culture where men are not trusted. So it's intentional. The fact that you don't like it and it makes you crazy and it's not fair is intentional. Brandon was good but nowhere near as good at creating dramatic set pieces as RJ. He's better now then he was then. I didn't find Moiraine or Nynaeve villainous or one-dimensional.

[@fredrikfjeld1575]

@@aentreri00 it goes far beyond that and is even a point of the story outside of the aes sedai and people who had no reason not to trust men. Brown, who are suppose to be pro men, still treated them like toddlers and imbeciles, while trusting them with important missions. That reasoning does not make sense in the story. And even if it did, it would still make the aes sedai, and women in general, the most evil acting people and the biggest threat to the world, more so than the ones that sides with evil. The whole world is saved by Rand and friends ignoring and going against women. Most of the things that made Nynave even remotely 3D was after Sanderson took over. Moraine had a few plot points, but she was also among the problem. Egewene started out with more depth than lost most of it until Sanderson took over. Sanderson actually explored more why the women acted like they did, instead of just "I'm a women, so I will act like a Disney villain" Brandon might not have had

[@aentreri00]

@@fredrikfjeld1575 I'm not sure where you get the idea that Brown's are "pro men". Green's maybe but if you really read the story you can see that it's down to the individual women which makes more sense as it would be poor characterization to have how people treat each other down to Ajah color. It's not that way. The worst treatment of a man was by a Green. Most evil acting? How so? Condescending sure. Yes the world is saved by Rand and his allies but the biases are warranted after thousands of years of false dragons. Rand himself is crazy so it's not unwarranted. Nynaeve not 3D until Sanderson? Sure whatever. She's got the best arc of anyone and right from the start doesn't buy into the Aes Sedai. There is way more complexity than you give credit. Sanderson himself has said his writing was not up to Jordan's level. Just being modest? I give him more credit than that.

[@focusrelax8838]

10:35 what is a modern twist?

[@ineslegue6456]

Hey! Just discovered your channel and generally love your recommendations and I pretty much agree on 90% of your reviews! However I need to defend The Roots of Chaos series :) and especially urge you to read ADOFN! Samantha Shannon was 20, I think, when she wrote Priory. It has some issues with pacing, especially towards the end, which she has herself admitted. However, ADOFN is brilliant! As a reader you definitely see how much she evolved as the writer between both novels and the world she created is - IMO - one of the best in modern fantasy novels :) Please give it a chance! Thanks for your work! All the best

[@bryanheffner4057]

In Broken Earth, I would say the tone changes from book 1 to the other two in a way that probably causes the "book on is my favorite" but also might mean you would enjoy the other two more. For me, the world was just too interesting to not find out about and I love that I read them all to understand the world more. Totally get bouncing off that series though. I think the POV did a lot to keep me hooked. I had to know who was telling me the story and why they needed to tell me my own story in the first place.

[@AndrewKwiatkowski]

I am with you, i tried malazan 3 ties already. Cannot do it. Don't know if i will try 4th time

[@hira791]

For me its the stormlight archives. To be honest ive only read the first 2 books but this series is considered sandersons best and the second book 'words of radiance' is considered the best in the series from what ive gathered so based off this im judging sandersons writing and honestly its really good but definitely overhyped. Like people kept hyping this up as a masterpiece in fantasy literature or something so that really skyrocketed my expectations however despite overall enjoying the books, they dont even crack my top 30 of best books ive read, not even in the fantasy genre alone. The prose was basic (tho ive come to understand sanderson prefers to keep it simple), the charcters weren't special some even felt like they belonged in a YA story (the shalon girl amd the her fiance, etc) and i dont know but it didnt feel like a masterpiece. The word building and climax were indeed fantastic but ive just read so much more interesting books with complex characters and plot that dont take as long to get interesting. The characters in this book were so easy to figure out and can be described in a few words. And like ive said, certain parts reminded me of YA fiction which i tend to avoid. Fans comparing this to other popular series such as a song of fire and ice are just doing a disservice to the stormlight acrives. These books arent that special. From what ive gathered alot of these fans started reading sanderson as teenagers with his other popular book series. And that intial positive impression has carried over to his other works as these fans grow older. Thats why even the most simple things sanderson writes becomes special to them in some way. To be honest even the harry Potter series which is barely even YA, is overall better than the storm light archives, especially in terms of prose, DIALOGUE writing, and character work (yes harry and adult Voldemort alone are basic) After finishing words of radiance, i liked it but not to the point where i was motivated to immediately start the 3rd novel. Like if this is his best work than whats the point. Plus the Shalom girl is too boring and YA (generic romance YA female lead) of a character to follow. I only came to somewhat care about kaladin and dalinar. The first 2 books would be perfect as a duology honestly. I dont see the plot expanding in a more interesting way.

[@Willy_Warmer]

a. No on honestly compares this series to ASOIAF. They're not remotely similar. b. This is just genuinely a bad take. Harry Potter is the most bare bones fantasy writing ever. Basically any excursion further into fantasy is better than Harry Potter. All this tells me is that you did not genuinely read the books. Especially if you think that none of the characters are complex (seemingly becasue of a single character, though I highly doubt they were that bad if you can't even spell their name right). The characters in Stormlight Archive are very complex, literally anyone who bothers to actually try and understand what their reading can see that. That you call Shallan a "generic romance YA female lead" because (I assume) her intrest in both Kaladin and Adolin is a minor plot point (which is just normal human behaviour, btw) is proof of that, since that's literally a culimination of her character's greatrer struggles, and used to develop both her and Kaladin more than take it remotely anywhere. Also, these characters have arcs that span over 5000 pages. You're _maybe_ a third of the way through. You seriously just don't know what you're talking about for these books. If you didn't like them, that's fine. But it's just plain wrong to say that the characters weren't complex.

[@hira791]

@Willy_Warmer @Willy_Warmer 😂😂😂 dude or whoever your are. I never said I didn't like the books. But so sorry I couldn't put them on the same pedestal as you bc A. Yes people did compare this to ASOIAF. From the reviews I read fans wrote this was a masterpiece among other fantasy book series like ASOIAF but you're right, ASOIAF and this book series are nowhere near on the same level. This was the main reason I was somewhat disappointed by the storm light archives since I came in with such high expectations. It was good but definitely overhyped B. Dude, I never said Harry Potter is peak fantasy or anything. Obviously there are better books. I mentioned it bc harry potter despite basically being a children's book series (not even YA) has far better prose, dialogues and overall engaging characters (all factors I specifically mentioned). Of course in terms of actual world building, Sanderson's work is far superior. But this is a subjective opinion in the end and to say I haven't 'genuinely' read the books just bc I don't have as high of an opinion about Sanderson's prose or character work, is so childish. Who comes to a random yt comment section to write a long ass review on a book series that they haven't read. But ok whatever. You can be like that. But I made it quite clear that I've only read the first 2 books and from that perspective, if you find the character work to be sufficient then fine, that's your standard. I have my own standard. Personally, as I have mentioned, I liked a few characters, especially Kaladin and Dalinar but I specifically pointed out Shaloon or whatever the f her name is (it's been months since I read this) bc I consider her to be Sanderson's weakest character. No, I didn't simply equate her to a basic YA female lead in relation to the other male characters but rather, it's what I concluded way before she even met them. It's the way things conveniently work out for her. The way other characters suddenly like her or pay special attention to her despite not knowing her well. The way Sanderson quite blatantly and continuously TELLS the readers that she's SO special and so funny and so freakin WITTY and so clever and so interesting but failed miserably in showing that ( I found her quite rude more than anything else). His prose suddenly took a nose dive whenever her chapters started. I didn't find her funny, witty or clever in any regard (he wrote the princess much better).The only saving grace was the back story Sanderson gave her which for a while made her a bit more interesting. But the amount of eye rolls I had to do when I saw the same generic YA tropes, dialogues and Mary sue behavior surrounding this character seriously brought down my opinion of Sanderson's writing (in terms of characters) down quite a few pegs. But if you like characters like these then whatever. Your opinion. I have nothing against it. I'm sure the author gives these characters even more interesting arcs later on and hopefully develops them more but from the first 2 books alone, I see nothing special. The majority of his characters are predictable and have few characteristics that differentiate them. The fact that every review that I read considers the first 2 books as the best and the 3rd is mainly from Shalleens or whatever the f her name is POV doesn't persuade me to read on. The prose are also too basic for my taste. If you like this series. Great. Bc it's good. But don't be such a basic fan that you can't accept any criticisms of it. It's not that serious.

[@chokog2446]

The Bound and The Broken! It is the most artificially overhyped series I have red! I think the hype hurt my reading experience, because I expected to love it, and it turned out to be only middling... Great video!😊

[@tarredion]

Murderbot is one of my top series ever haha 😅 i usually don’t like too much humor in my books but this more dry humor mixed w sci fi and queer stuff rlly worked for me (im also one of the unlikely fans of sci fi jargon and action both, which it also kinda has?) so while I def see it not hitting for some people, I and it fit together like nothing else

[@tarredion]

In general I think it’s rlly interesting too bcs such small things can sway a reader one way or another - like there’s books I’ve hated and loved for rlly small minute things, and that might be the complete opposite for another reader, or they haven’t even noticed those details!

[@CindyLenzewski]

Murderbot was the first sci-fi book I have ever read and I loved it so much that I read all of them. I had an amazing time reading the books. It was great I was so invested. Will be re-reading. I look forward to reading such books in future. I am normally a romance reader.

[@drinkbooks]

If you try Malazan again...don't start over to finish it. Pick up where you left off and read on, then, if you like it, go back. There is a Wiki if you need to remind yourself of something. I've read it three times, it's a comfort read and I love it BUT it is massive and it is a lot.

[@jesskate6244]

Despised the poppy war. Found the violence gratuitous. Venka literally existed so the author could introduce the horror of comfort women. The only reason it doesn't come across as truly exploitatory is her background - if a person without personal connection to this part of history/culture had written it like this it would be damned all over social media and rightly so.

[@mEmory______]

Your take on venka is objectively false

[@DerBomster]

Malazan is kind of my Chain of Dogs, I'm currently stuck in the middle of Midnight Tides and don't know how to get going again. Have read a dozen book in the meantime. I really enjoy the worldbuilding, the writing and most of the characters - at least those that don't feel like they were created by a twelve-year-old on a sugar rush. But there are many moments where I look back and wonder "Do I actually care about what I've just read?" - and it's maybe 50/50 yes/no...) Oh, and the fact that the Malazan fans feel like they are the Tool fans of the fantasy novel world make it harder, too.

[@Harley24986]

I think one of the biggest issues in the book community today is the comparisons. It leads people into books thinking they will relive a previous experience and then be disappointed because it wasn't what they thought. Most of the time, the comparisons don't make any sense.

[@EmyN]

We need a part 2!

[@Rabid-Floof]

I enjoyed the Shadow & Bone trilogy, but Six of Crows is her best work. Fourth Wing is just a fun ride, horny 20 somethings in a military college with dragons (that's all I expected and wanted). Priory was so hard to get into, the back and forth made it difficult to care about any of the characters until a coue hundred pages in.

[@_Abra_Kadabra_]

I think the First Law is overhyped. I enjoyed the first book well enough, but the second book made me really bored, and I discontinued the series after that. The wizard kept dumping exposition on the reader, as part of a dialogue where even the characters present felt disinterested in what he had to explain. I didn't want to have to read about the entire journey to the end of the world, it felt tedious and drawn out to me. I kept finding myself wishing they would just cut scene to when they arrived. Then, when they finally arrived, the whole trip turned out to have been for nothing, and I felt as disappointed as the characters themselves, that I had endured all that reading for nothing. There are a lot of tropes and I don't think the world building felt deep enough to make me suspend my disbelief in them. I also started reading it expecting something more like ASOIAF, after a chat-gpt recommendation. I heard it gets a lot better in the third trilogy, but I have no plans to read and see for the moment. I think Abercrombie's character work was pretty good, however I didn't like Glokta as much as everyone else seems to love him. I found he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, he is just a bad and unsympathetic person through-and-through, albeit with some decent excuses. The characters that I liked were Jezal and the Bloody Nine. Jezal because he was actually funny (I didn't find Glokta's inner monologues to be humorous), and the Bloody Nine because he was a likeable guy with faults that made him seem real.

[@The88shrimp]

I actually found the second book my favourite. I think it was my favourite Glokta storyline.

[@chrissis.7192]

I even dumped the first book. First Law is absolutely not for me, which is kinda sad as everyone seems to love it.

[@lankymario7189]

the issue I have with second book is that the stories are all separated. But if you read the 3rd book, at the start the storyline all come together. If you read the second book already I recommend you at least read the start of the third book, because to me the first 1/3 of the 3rd book was the best part of the series, I laughed out loud on so many occasions. (the rest of it I didnt like as much, feel a bit cliche and slightly predictable)

[@lankymario7189]

@@The88shrimp Glotka was the only good storyline though, the other was a bit boring to me

[@SimplementInefable]

I LOVE all the First Law world, and seeing the issues you had with it... I might say that sadly it is not for you... I think that Abercrombie doesn't go for redeeming qualities in his characters, and if that is a deal breaker for you, then yeah... Maybe its not a series you would enjoy... The same goes for the ending of the second book and the wizard character...

[@sugasheeze]

Thank god I’m not the only one to feel that way about Edgedancer.

[@damp2269]

Im one of the people that says “first law is straight up better than asoiaf” i also add that is very character driven and i learned to never… ever… start someone on the blade itself. Best point of entry is best served cold, stand alone, story focused and the best elevator pitch ever: what if kill bill happened in 19th century italy.

[@damp2269]

Btw i would take some says that asoiaf edges first law but age of madness is a whole nother level…

[@r.awilliams9815]

WoT...there are some pearls amidst the dross, but there's SO MUCH dross that I found it unreadable along about Book 5 or 6, I disremember which. The series needs a ruthless editing job IMO.

[@constancemk603]

I loved Murderbot until the end (I've only read book 1). Literally the last decision in the book downgraded it from a book I thoroughly enjoyed to meh. I think I journaled about it, I was so upset. I don't think there's anything wrong with enjoying the series - I did like the book up to the ending, and it had a twist aspect that I think would appeal to many people. Just not for me personally.

[@sofadhana1289]

I agree with the RR comment. Very YA, and I'm one of the few who thinks book1 is the best of the 3. Book2 and 3 both have the repetitive formula that if protag DIDN'T have a strategy scene before a battle, then he pulls the win out of his ass with some oh-so-clever twist. If there WAS a strategy scene beforehand, he gets betrayed and goes all "oh my poor heart, I'll never recover, how could you do this to me?"

[@inge1428]

This sums up my thoughts perfectly. I liked book 1 and I constantly wanted to pick it back up to read on. But I got stuck about at about 10% in at book 2 for HALF A YEAR. And then somehow still finished it but I had to force myself to. It got progressively worse and I'm not trying the second trilogy (or second series, whatever).

[@brucealanwilson4121]

David Eddings. Clever, but it 'smells of the lamp.'

[@levvellene570]

I've tried and tried to read a lot (!) of the new fantasy series. Some are good, some are very good, and some are just so boring starting out (even if they plaster their views plainly), and I don't even disagree with them! But I think the one thing that the post-80's (or so) authors are forgetting is that there should be some FUN or CURIOSITY for readers to dig their teeth into. And, no, it doesn't have to be stand-up or slap-stick kind of fun! Just tongue-in-cheek will do it for most of us. Lev

[@nerenax2132]

I loved fourth wing! However books like fourth wing are what i would call "guilty pleasure books". You know they aren't the best ones, they have some flaws but they are just wildly entertaining and even though you would hate the love interest in real life somehow you get giddy when reading about them in a book. I never really call this book 'good' but boy oh boy do i get why so many people love it.

[@cameronscott7304]

Samantha Shannon has gorgeous covers. I just don't have much interest in her books.

[@Quinn2112]

10000000000% right about The Poppy War. Without a doubt, the most overhyped fantasy series of the last 25 years. Just terrible. (Babel was also terrible, but for other reasons (short version: Kuang has the moral subtlety of a sledgehammer, and Babel is what you when you write to your authorial moral objectives rather than character and plot.))

[@AdzPower]

I completely agree on Babel - it had all the subtlety of being repeatedly hit over the head with a bag of bricks screaming "colonialism is bad! colonialism is bad!" and the characters were not characters at all but self-insert vessels for Kuang's ideology and pretentiousness.

[@jonjo2598]

Luang was one of the “young prodigy” types that publishers love to promote. Not surprising she lacks the talent of more developed writers

[@aamnahere6250]

Just because R.F Kuang was not subtly incorporating the theme of colonialism in Babel does not make her a bad author or Babel a bad book. It's fine that her critique wasn't subtle enough for you but I absolutely loved that book coming from Asia and seeing an Asian not subtly incorporating the brutality of the British colonial empire. Just because an author's work is not influential for you doesn't mean they're not good or being promoted for being an 'academic prodigy.' These claims can be made about a lot of authors. There are plenty of classic American and British authors who weren't subtle in their institutional critiques in their novels and their works are held as masterpieces today. Not every novel has to have subtle social commentary and authors don't have to cater to the sensibilities of all their readers. I am personally extremely glad she wrote Babel because I've never felt seen or represented in English fiction until I read it.

[@jonjo2598]

@@aamnahere6250 How you wrote that wall of text without realizing that you conceded the point is beyond me. Lol, yes Kuang is published because she has the right identity - we never disagreed with that. We were saying she sucked as a writer - which you also agreed with but somehow think that books written decades / centuries ago make that ok. Thanks for the agreement! /Facepalm

[@grainny4397]

I just got the full series of the poppy war with one credit on audible. I love reading books with mixed reviews not everything is for everyone. I’m in the midst of my dune read through, WOT and the Sprawl. No idea how the poppy war will do in these some people will hate this but the are classics.

[@gigglingchicken8444]

I am reading WoT. I love the series so far, but book 10 is currently kicking my butt. It's been almost a month and I am only 40 percent through. I am finding it hard to want to pick it up. I liked book 7-9 so I was just starting to think the slog wasn't real...

[@tasosalexiadis7748]

You can skip the rest of book 10. Go read its epilogue and go to book 11, you will miss almost nothing. The last 3 books are wild.

[@erikaeriksson9840]

Book 10 is the worst of them. They get better again.

[@andybarker8787]

I have to admit the Green-bone Saga was a huge disappointment for me given all the hype. I dnf’d it 20 pages into Jade Legacy just could not read on more page despite having committed to two previous books. I knew it was the right decision due to the relief I found from selling those books.

[@charlesbuckley1301]

Nynaeve tugged her braid and sniffed.

[@chrissis.7192]

The faithful and the fallen is my holy grail, I love it soooooo much. First law on the other hand is not for me and imo overhyped. I can't get into it. I hate that writing style but I think it might be a bad German translation 🤷🏻‍♀️ maybe I try it sometime again in English

[@genebaker6964]

Funny I'm exactly the same. I stopped at Deadhouse Gates twice. I think at some inn in the desert is where i gave up.

[@eddiec2711]

But you also have to consider that we are all individuals what you may like. I might hate what I might hate you might like, etc. etc. etc. but the first two that you mentioned green bone and Murderbot. I’ve tried so many times I own them and I can’t get into them. I’ll try to book 3 or 4 times. and that’s what months in between but I always try to remember that we’re all individuals and sometimes it doesn’t click. It took me three tries with the blade itself and then it clicked so now after seeing this video I may give Greenbo and murder by another try at this month probably next month. Thanks for what you do

[@kirsireima5758]

I've said it once and I'll say it again: Babel. I think it had so much potential but unfortunately it never delivered.

[@NevsBookChannel]

Overhyped? Piranesi - it was a fine book but nothing earth shattering. Great video as always Jóhan!

[@sofadhana1289]

agreed to an extent. For me, the book is about ambience rather than plot or character. It does well at that.

[@LibraryonLegs]

While I still really enjoyed these two books, I found the conflit between the main characters to be a little contrived. Everyone says that the next books are phenomenal so I will go on. The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Grace of Kings.

[@overcaffeinated_aeryn]

I am a bit over 500 pages into Priory and have loved all of it so far, so even if the ending ends up a little unsatisfying like you say I have still enjoyed the journey. Totally agree with Poppy War being overrated, it is definitely YA and has a lot of the same problems as other YA books I've read that I didn't like. Which leads me straight to Leigh Bardugo. Shadow and Bone, and I would add Six of Crows duology, were all super overrated, they have turned me off from all YA.

[@myfirstnovel]

Showing that authors engaging is worth it, I just picked The Master of Whitestorm from Wurts and a Carol Berg on Amazon. On my TBR... whenever I catch up on The Wandering Inn where I currently stand at book 12. BTW as to 90s fantasy, I would recommend Stephen Donaldson's Mordant's Need. Basic magic system but great fun and what got me into fantasy in my early days.

[@WildWolfGod]

Some book series that people LOVE and praise like WoT and Dandelion Dynasty aren't for me but with how people praise them, I feel like I'm the one in the wrong or missing something with how loved they are.

[@jacksonsardello3959]

My overhyped pick to try and make Johan fight me in the comments is the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn Trilogy. I almost DNFed book 2 I was having such a hard time getting through. I saw book 3 in a used bookstore for $3 last weekend and even my urge to be a completionist was not strong enough for me to pick it up. Go read Robin Hobb and George R. R. Martin and skip Tad Williams. :D I agree with Priory of the Orange Tree, but I think my takeaway was a bit different. I felt that the book should have been a duology. The worldbuilding and pacing both would have benefited with 2 books and the romance side would have felt more authentic if it was a more of a slow burn.

[@KGDavis-fi2tq]

I recently got through Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy and totally agree. Some of the most brutally slow-paced stories I have ever read lol.

[@jacksonsardello3959]

@@KGDavis-fi2tq Book 1 spend so much time developing Simon and then book 2 switches to multiple PoVs about characters that I absolutely have no connection to. Additionally I feel the worldbuilding is more of a tease than actually substantiative. Most of the magic/fantasy elements are left vague and ambiguous and never explained in any more depth. I could probably rant for a while, which is surprising because I generally enjoy just about every single fantasy book I ready. This trilogy was an outlier for me for sure.

[@adamborst]

I would love to have Gwynne books in hardback, loved Faithful and the Fallen but cannot find hardcover anywhere. Very jealous :)

[@marcusbrown3880]

This is what im seeing, with today gen. They all quote LOTR as their number one, mainly coz they saw the films then read the books. They show no love or appreciation for the old school authors, Gemmell, Brooks, Feist, Goodkind and Eddings. I saw a comment on another channel about tier lists, and their quote read " the books are too simple and cliche. I breeze through them." So like many unless they have to struggle through a book or series, you aren't enjoying it. Thats backwards, to read a book you have to enjoy reading it without over thinking it, to drop into a world and know you aren't going to have to make notes. Then get back to reality and get on with your life.

[@jryan217]

Unfortunately I agree about The Green Bone Saga. I read book 1, started book 2 but DNF'd at less than 100 pages in, I just was not engaged in the characters at all and decided it was too big of a time investment to keep going when I was not enjoying them and had so many other books to get to. Needless to say, I used my skip option on my BB Subscription when I found those were the selections. I haven't ruled out giving another shot to reading book 2 and book 3 and seeing if my mind is changed.

[@libraryofaviking]

I hope you'll enjoy it if you pick it back up;

[@JAlexGiguere-Author]

Still haven’t read Priory of the Orange Tree, but I really need to make time for it! I also feel the sadness over the incomplete read through of WoT… another I need to make time for again 😅 Great content, keep it up 🔥

[@paperback_cat]

A Day of Fallen Night is just Priory set at a different time with less interesting characters... 😬 i would only recommend it to people who LOVED Priory

[@orangemc9358]

Remember: Good Reads is a third party website. One that requires an account if you want to rate a book. So, that is 2 barriers of entry that are totally unnecessary if you just want to enjoy a book. That being said, HOW??? Fourth Wing has 2,000,000 ratings. 270,000 reviews. It manages a 4.6 star rating with 5 star reviews far surpassing the sum total of 1, 2, 3, and 4 star reviews combined. 1 star reviews are less than 1% of the total. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW INSANE THAT IS? THIS DRAGON CODED, DISABILITY MILKING SMUT BOOK HAS BROKEN THE MATRIX.

[@radudumanovschi3387]

The only Sanderson I've read is WoT. But it doesn't feel in the tone of the story... they feel as if Jordam also wrote them.. Regarding the Red Rising series I agree with that comment

[@azdrahon]

2:22 my brain went ah yes world of tanks

[@rogerhuggettjr.7675]

WHEEL OF TIME SPOILER: I liked WOT. Other than the time they wasted with Perin during Faile's kidnapping, the slog didn't even bother me. But to say the ending was satisfying is untrue. Rand was all about duty through the whole series, yet he walks away from his THREE wives and unborn baby to be a vagabond. He should honor his family even if it means he has to deal with fame. It doesn't feel like an authentic ending and I want to blame Sanderson (who I love), because I can't imagine this was the way Jordan would have Rand remembered.

[@twomonkeytube]

I loved Tress of the Emerald Sea. I have tried to read The Way of Kings...twice: not a fan

[@Gwydda]

Here, someone who dredged through all of the absolutely tediousness of the Wheel of Time and regrets it. I don't hate WoT, but I definitely didn't enjoy the last book. I wanted it just to be over. I didn't care who dies or who survives. I felt exactly like what someone commented on Malazan on this video. I feel like I wasted a lot of my time over nothing much. I always say it's a series I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

[@dougsundseth6904]

Well, we haven't met, but _I_ regret the time I spent going all the way to book 14 of WoT. The series started well, but by book 4, it was already more than annoying. The world design is pedestrian (it's an RPG world with all the usual stuff, see Golarion or the Forgotten Realms for other examples). The characters were almost uniformly unsympathetic. And the plot was entirely predictable. Other than the plot, the characters, the world, and the writing, though, I'm sure it was great. Its only advantage for me was that it was good for listening to while I was driving or exercising, since I never much cared if I missed 15 minutes. To be fair, I didn't hate it. It didn't evoke that much emotion from me. It was bland and forgettable writing about people I learned to dislike.

[@markofascribe9528]

Funny how Malazan keeps coming back to haunt you 😂

[@libraryofaviking]

@@markofascribe9528 😝😝

[@donaldpratt2296]

Oh man, should I do the Patreon for one month to talk about Legend?

[@PhoenixBlade]

I really did not enjoy red rising. The first book was actually my favorite, which is funny because most people dislike that one the most

[@andyfish5581]

I get Mistborn being overhyped. I did like it, but maybe because old Jedi training young Jedi in the ways of the force to overthrow the evil empire was nostalgic for me.

[@1984kylea]

Did the first wheel of time book, felt like Y / A and stopped. I don't get it. For Malazan Deadhouse Gates is a bit of a "wtf is going on" book. It's such a departure from the first I can see how it would put people off. That said on a re-read it was incredible. I'd strongly suggest pushing through into Memories of Ice, best book in the series in my opinion. Poppy War had one good book, the other two were not great. I still love Sanderson but he's no longer top of the pile for me. At this point Ken Liu and Joe Abercrombie as good as it gets.

[@SecretHolder]

I read all 14 WoT books (sunken cost fallacy, I guess). I actually thought the series got better when Sanderson took it over, but I don't think I'll ever read it again. The ending was not for me either.

[@sof2294]

Reading the entirety of WoT is like reading the entirety of dune. You finish it because you have to, because you started something and have to see it to its end, but will improbably revisit.

[@dorgeousmac9478]

Love your recommendations, its great to find a youtuber that has similar tastes. One of your past vid made me realise I was holding back reading some books I really want to read. I was waiting for a reading slump before I finished Abercrombie and Gwynne books. Ohh that Red Rising comment totally agree, read all three felt like Gilmore Girls in space. Chat chat chat.

[@assassin415]

I dnf'd green bone almost immediately after the scene he sneaks in to his girls place and "rapes" her to prove she should move in with him cuz its less dangerous as well as every single time a girl has the audacity to speak up or speak her piece hilo flares his jade and rages to intimidate them fuck that shit

[@LibraryonLegs]

I paused Malazan at MoI but I too will reinvest in 2025. I'm determined to find out why Crippled God is so revered 🤔 I love Green Bone but I can see why people who are expecting more magic in an urban setting would be disappointed. LaRue is back in the front of my mind 🤪 I dint know why it keeps slipping out of my psyche 🤦‍♀️

[@kid5Media]

Read one Murder Bot, haven't felt compelled to read another.

[@joeymoreau2125]

Don’t sleep on Throne of Glass

[@peterp9918]

I gave up on Wheel of Time halfway through the second book as I found the characters too annoying to continue. The other series I struggled with was the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, although I thought the way it finished was superb. Williams seems to suffer from the 'why use one word when I could use 10' problem - it probably won't surprise you to know that John Gwynne is one of my favourite authors😊😊.