MY REVIEW STYLE

lets talk about how I review books.
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[@Nasser851000]

Daniel tries so hard to give us great content that it warms my heart :)

[@Linnir]

Compelling characters are essential for a memorable story that you enjoy. Re specific plot points: I would really like to see a spoiler section or another spoiler video when you review a book. It would be great to able to go back to that section after I have read the book to hear your opinion on specific important aspects of the book. I feel without this your reviews can come across as too general and vague.

[@crimsonking3377]

Linnir en Tirion agree👍, I feel without talking about actual plot points you can’t actually identify what makes the characters/themes great in a book and makes each review feel very similar/pointless (at least for viewers that have read the book)

[@jayarcher3331]

I completely agree without some level of spoilers towards the plot or just getting into the narrative a little bit more some of Daniel grapes and problems with the books comes off a little bit vague and nitpicking.

[@Mamba219]

I actually strongly disagree with this, there are numerous stories with what I would consider poor characters that people absolutely love. It's a matter of taste. These days, characters are king, but no one who reads Candide or Dracula is raving about character work.

[@SeptimusTSS]

I think im speaking for lots of people when i say: We like the thought behind your reviews Daniel, but sometimes we just want to hear you gush about our favorite character actions, plot points, twists, scenes etc. For us who like watching reviews of book we have already read, we really like it when you talk about those things because its like having a friend read your favorite series and talking to them about it *Edit, of course we understand its fully your choice, but maybe there could be a bit more of a balance. But if you dont want to, thats completely fine, we can scratch that its elsewhere!

[@keriant]

Completely agree!

[@Mamba219]

To me, this kind of thing should be reserved for a different sort of video, not a review. Reviews shouldn't pander to people who have already read the book - rather, they should inform people what to expect from a book they haven't read. Maybe he should do "discussion" or "thought" videos that can have spoilers where he goes into those character actions and plot points.

[@SeptimusTSS]

@@Mamba219 that would definitely work Mamba! I would totally take that

[@Danny_Matson]

Daniel, thanks for this! I was one of those guys I think after I listened to your Starsight review that started to say "Daniel really isn't hitting any of the story points at all". Now I understand. Although a spoiler discussion once in a while of popular books like this commenter suggests is something I think is definitely missing on the channel recently. (ala Mike Books Reviews)

[@ZetaStriker0000]

Adding to this, I think it's worth stating that there's very little point in doing spoiler-free reviews of the later books in a long series. I don't think someone is looking at spoiler-free reviews of A Memory of Light to decide to read Wheel of Time. For those sorts of series I'd highly recommend maybe doing a spoiler-free overall review of it after you finish for new readers, but book by book seems like SUCH a waste.

[@ld3451]

Daniel, when I found your channel I couldn't believe my luck. What you value in a story is exactly what I value. It's crazy how much I trust and respect your judgement when it comes to books. AND ON TOP OF THAT you are truly an entertaining and interesting person who obviously puts his heart into his work. Thank you Daniel

[@livingasagoat1301]

I love how you review. I may not always agree with your opinion on things, but it's YOUR opinion. And anyone who wants to have a broad opinion of any subject should be more than willing to hear all sides.

[@keriant]

I find myself to be a very plot-driven reader. I love trying to figure out where the story is going. If there isn't a certain level of unpredictability in the story, I tend to feel very disappointed. One of the things that I love most in epic fantasy in regards to this is the richness of viewpoints you can have and the possibilities that can bring to the narrative. If the story mostly follows one character or two and I don't happen to enjoy the story they're involved in, it's a bummer. If there are many pieces at play at the same time, the chances of me enjoying at least secondary plots or side plots are what is going to keep me reading the book.

[@jackinthebox1993]

This video helped me see reading and books in a new light. We could all sit and talk about how much sense the narrative twists seem to make, but it's an entirely different thing to read between the lines. I see words as so much more... Magical. The ability to use prose to juggle tone, atmosphere, character development, and carry out an engaging plot seems so much more impressive to me now. I see even better how reading and writing more stories helps you find your footing as a author because you're naturally going to spend more time developing parts of your writing you love and that will come across to your readers. As a reader, identifying what you love in stories helps you develope a more distinctive taste as well. This video made so much sense to me on different levels and I appreciate that.

[@spiffybumbleteeth]

I've picked up Kings of the Wyld, Dresden Files, and Red Sister all from your reviews and recommendations. Hearing you talk candidly about how much thought you put into your reviews knowing that people use them as a basis for spending money was very refreshing and encouraging to hear. Thanks for the things you do!

[@lupaecainis]

Ditto. I read Kings of the Wyld after Daniel interviewed the author and I loved it. It's such a fun D&D romp. And right now I'm binging through Book of the Ancestor series by Mark Lawrence largely because Daniel liked it so much. And because warrior nuns are a must read concept.

[@panchorosselli]

In my opinion: How pacing and how of a page turner the book is, if it gets me REALLY engaged, that for me is a 5 stars, even if the prose can be worked on, even if the story can be improoved, etc. 1star: Bad, didn't like it. 2stars: Not my type of book. I see what it tries to do, I dont enjoy it, predictible, bad characters, etc. 3stars: I like this book, it's solid. Would not recommend to friends that do not read or with long TBRs. 4stars: Recommendable book for people that usually read. I believe it's worth the time you put into. Technically well written. 5stars: Books that blew my mind and I would recommend to every single human being near me. Either the book is perfect for me (Way of kings or Game of Thrones), it has grown really near my heart from when I was young, or page-turners I believe everyone would enjoy reading even if I see flaws or things to improve (Rage of Dragons and Final Empire are the perfect examples for this to some of my friends).

[@Loganva]

Frosse I don’t understand how a book can be 5 stars if it has plot holes or anything like that. I’m glad this works for you, but I cannot ignore criticisms when rating, even if it’s a middle grade or anything

[@panchorosselli]

@@Loganva Nonono, I hate plot holes. If things don't make sense in the universe I fking hate that. But at the same time I can't give 4 stars to Way of Kings because "Why is Shallan being able to breathe in Shadesmar when that is a 'spirits place', why is there oxigen?". I'm not THAT critical when it comes to "plot holes". What I mean by improoving is other things, like when pacing is not what I like, if there are some infodumps that could be developed better, if some chapters are very weak, etc. If a book has more than one of the above.... It's not a 5 stars. I do give 5 stars to what would be a "soft 9, or 8.5", because in my head it delivered what it wanted it to deliver in a way that appealed to me. There are 5 stars, and "masterpice 5stars" (only 3 books in my personal opinion). Not giving 5 stars to a book becuase it's "worse" than "A storm of Swords" of ASoIaF is being way to crytical for me. And it is my way of ranking, I'm not saying it's perfect for everyone.

[@Loganva]

Frosse I don’t think anything with any issues at all can be 5 stars tbh

[@PsychologyandChillwMichi]

My biggest reader focuses are: character and their arcs, plot (i love trying to guess and see if im right), and i think tone is the best word- like what does it feel like reading overall. I think our focuses are similar. But not gonna lie, i dont like writing which is as detailed as Robert Jordan. I prefer hearing whats in the heads of the characters like George Rr Martin, Steven King and Scott Sigler

[@SrikkanthG]

Wow. Same thought. I don't care as much about World Building, Lore, Magic systems as much as I love Character, their arc, how their plot combine and a powerful Antagonist.

[@PsychologyandChillwMichi]

Srikkanth G yessss the antagonist is almost my favorite element- it can make or break a story for me

[@CatrionaReads]

I particularly appreciate when people avoid talking about plot specifics. When people say "there's an amazing twist!" I spend the whole novel trying to anticipate it by second guessing the author, often the twist isn't as effective for me. Robin Hobb is an author who has really developed for me as I've read her work. Her first trilogy was just okay but her character work was so impressive that I kept going and now The Liveship Traders is probably my favourite trilogy of all time, it has my favourite character arc ever for sure. Sanderson's lack of atmosphere holds me back from really loving his work. I feel you can really see the very planned and mechanical way he plans and writes his scenes. I've still read everything he's ever published so can hardly complain really haha All this to say I really appreciate the parts of books you choose to explore in your reviews!

[@riakm921]

Maybe it’s just the way I listen to reviews, but an added benefit of you “gushing” at story specifics (as @Adam D puts it), is a greater perspective on what is literally on the page (rather than your condensed interpretation). I’m not going to remember specifics from a book review (especially for I book I haven’t read), but I will remember your enthusiasm/lack there of when discussing specifics. Just listing what you felt the xyz-literary qualities of a book are is often too vague to be meaningful, however this paired with the story point gushing creates a much more grounded review.

[@logansoltys3197]

I tend to be a pretty plot driven reader. I usually enjoy a book with an original plot and lots of twists over a book that may not have the most original plot, but has great characters.

[@MKTraxel]

I love that there are different styles of reviews available within fantasy booktube. I can really pull everything (and more) that I want to know about a story between you, Merphy and Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. None of us are the same reader so having multiple DIFFERENT reviews are so helpful. Thank you!

[@QazwerDave]

Plot elements, like castle sieges and battle strategies, is something that makes me want to dive into a world.

[@seabird3896]

Aannndd this is why I'm subscribed to Daniel and enjoy his content so much. The way you review is as if you truly understand the book, instead of just blowing through what happens in the story (which isn't a damn review. That's just telling the plot). And I LOVE love LOVE that you actually talk about atmosphere, which is also my favourite part of books. Because atmosphere sticks with you long after you've finished it. Atmosphere just helps you feel more emersed in the world 🤷‍♀️ *Also, I spent my hard earned cash on Kings of the Wyld because of you and I freaking loved it. Definitely thankful for that recommendation.*

[@ciaranrobinson4149]

Well long story short i didnt really grow up in a enviroment where literature was a big part of life But ive always enjoyed fantasy stories and stuff and literally dont think i read a book in 20 years but in browsing for a fatancy film or something to watch by watching reviews i mustve somehow stumbled onto a review you done of a book and it was how engaging your review was as well as your videos just saying how you still enjoy audiobooks and stuff that actually got me to start listening and beginning to read series i wouldve never experienced otherwise Sounds like im sucking up but yea i enjoy your review style it makes it pretty easy for me to know what i think i might get into and what may not be for me

[@filthighxd9763]

Great video, love it when content creators open up their perspective to others.

[@jeremydanchuk1897]

I think the most I get out of your reviews is your excitement about reading in general. I also enjoy the difference in perspective between us, in some things I find your taste very similar to mine, in others(like Malazan) it is cool to see where and what parts of the books you have issues with. I have seen your taste and review approach change over the last couple of years and know that it will keep doing so as you experience more books and do more reviews. Keep up the good work.

[@santicotarelo6848]

Personally, I am all about worldbuilding. It's why I'm so excited to get into Malazan (after I have a few more series under my belt). I do still love characters, relationships, plot etc. But worldbuilding, to me, is what makes fantasy my favourite genre

[@GaleForceKaif]

I only just discovered your channel, and hearing you say that you focus so much on characters makes me think I'm really gonna enjoy it. Well-written characters/character development/relationships are what I live for in books

[@henipurwatiakbar3612]

As soon as I make my reviews, this comes up! Thank you, Daniel 😚 such an inspiration

[@aiela]

You’re reviews are nearly perfect. I’d say the only thing they need is a spoiler section or a spoiler video companion? No criticism, just a suggestion.

[@Asian_Caleb]

I really appreciate the spoiler alerts I’ll watch all the wheel of time videos again when I’m through the series

[@hannahjcattanach3324]

That was a really interesting video, you pretty much encapsulate my own thoughts about what a book review should be. For me, learning about the plot is not particularly interesting, I can read that on the back cover, but what the blurb doesn't give you are all the interesting nuances that you can only get from reading it, or from a fantastic review. This is the philosophy I'm trying to use when I do my own book reviews! Thanks for talking about it

[@a_blitz]

I really like you reviews and the fact that they are non spoiley because I like to have some knowledge of the setting and maybe a bit of the lore. I really like to theories about where the story will go and try to predict twists and such. So when i am able to predict it it feels really rewarding thats why i like for the story to have some mystery elements if it is not a complete mystery book. It is still fun to sometimes get fooled by the author as long as i can go back and see the clues that he left and it is not a twist just to have one. And i really love fantasy because it is just more fun to learn about the magic system, the creatures etc.

[@PenDragonx]

A well woven plot that has a solid structure, and clever use of expectation and subversion

[@ameli950514]

I’ve watched many of your videos and the level of care you put into them is obvious. It really shows that you accept the responsibility of your power to influence readers and possibly give a hand to new writers

[@arnepolfliet1126]

Very interesting video. Gives insight as to how you approach a book review along with your views on what you find important in a story or book. It does make me think further about why I like some books and dislike others even though they might be very similar in genre. It also shows not to just disregard a book due to the opinions of a reviewer but think about the exact reasons why they dislike a book. They might rate a book negatively due to some aspects that you (The viewer) wouldn't mind at all. On the other hand, your reviews are quite objective stating the good and the bad, giving us a good overview of the audience the book is for without disregarding it completely. You don't just finish a book but it feels like it stays with you for a bit. You think about it more thoroughly and then you inform us, the viewers. That's what makes this channel so special. Keep up the good work, Daniel.

[@CJthedragon8]

Thank you so much for this video!!! It is something I was kinda wondering about!!!

[@becklebooks]

I think this whole video needs to make people comprehend that 'art is subjective' and books are ART, which makes it super personal. It's why we seek out reviews, or at least why I do! I love seeing what people think about my fave books. And that disliking things can happen at the same instance as mutual respect. That's how we get brilliant discussion!! It's likely I'm gonna put a video together about this too, cos I'd love to include my reviewing style (from written reviews to booktube now), talking about tropes and patterns and archetypes in stories that I tend to gravitate to as well. :) Thanks Daniel! :D

[@albinodeer7449]

What I really value is novelty: I read fantasy to expirience new things, go to places I have never been to, see the things I never would It's got to the point where another medeival world, or another iteration of elves diminishes the story for me. I still can enjoy it, but it's less likely to be a favourite And then things that are very original - something like The Books of Babel - are really appealing Aside from that, more "classic" things: characters, world, prose, plot (in that order) And then, something that followed me from my love of mystery genre - secrets. I LOVE if there is a secret with the world or characters, and it's slowly being revealed to the reader (and characters)

[@violetadaguiar9776]

Hey there! Thanks for that advice on considering what sort of reader I am. Had never thought about it but I think atmosphere and prose style make it for me, cause I don't even mind reading a book knowing the whole plot beforehand... You put so much effort into delivering good content, it's awesome :)

[@woehrle17]

"I want to see mountains Gandolf, Mountains!" Daniels shirt: I gotchu

[@maryamabigailsengbe7472]

This is really interesting. I'm going to have to go back and look at which books you liked vs merphy Napier in your dual videos. There are a lot of ways where I have similar preferences to her, but I think I lean a little more toward character driven stories rather than plot, so knowing she it more plot driven and you are more character driven is actually really good to know when you both discuss the same books or series. Thanks for the explanation.

[@Caster279]

Your discussion on atmosphere is a great explanation for why I enjoyed reading The Eye of the World more than Way of Kings. Parts of that book were genuinely terrifying, and I don't scare easily.

[@MrLikeaboss81]

Atmosphere is hard to pin down as it is a mixture of elements like style, tone, and content, so it's hard to put a finger on what exactly creates "atmosphere" but for me it is oh so important (along with characters). It is the major reason I could never really get into Mistborn for example.

[@kieranhockey7393]

Please don’t sacrifice me, but I recently dropped Wheel of Time (after B5) specifically because I didn’t see the character relationships, nor a consistent tone. Lore is 100% there and I love it, but I just found WoT to be lacking in those other areas. Which surprised me, considering Dan’s a WoT channel at heart, and I was very upset to discover that - in my opinion! - relationships and atmosphere was weak. Again, this is just my opinion, I can totally see why people love the series so much, but it’s just not for me :/

[@PsychologyandChillwMichi]

4:19 dude who is daniel trying to impress with these pronunciations 😂

[@Severian1]

I love a well done world, one of the reasons why I love Malazan so much. It feels alive in that you don't know the whole thing and you get the sense that something is happening when you close the book. The story isn't about one special character or a group of people but the entire world. That is what I value most in a book. I appreciate what you do as a reviewer, I can watch what you do without spoilers and I appreciate that. But as a Malazan stan myself, I won't watch you say its not great and relatable! Me and the Sappers will find you and...nah just kidding. Taste is subjective. Keep doing what you do, I appreciate you. One of your videos helped me get a friend into reading again.

[@callmecrazy8677]

And this is why I enjoy every video he puts up.

[@OzDraws44]

I enjoy, as a consumer of book reviews, the way you give your perspective on the book without too much mention of plot specifics compared to other reviewers, who's over-discussion of the plot gets in the way of giving me their thoughts on other aspects of the book and how each affected their reading experience. I feel I can enjoy watching any of your book reviews, whether I've read the book or not, first because of the absolute absence of the fear of spoilers, but also because it's more than just talking about the story and whether you liked it, but a discussion on how you personally judge the quality of the book through different aspects, which I find very interesting. It is always fun to hear a reader you respect discuss plot specifics and jump back into that world with them, which I feel like you've done a lot with WoT, and that's easier to do because of its giant audience, but I would classify that as another video, not exactly a review. Keep up the great work Daniel!

[@matt-je9ux]

As someone who decided to read Prince of Thorns due to your review, I agree with sentiments of other comments that while your review style may not get into the nitty gritty of the plot, it is so beneficial for me as a reader for the way you speak about books as although you perhaps aren't a fan of the book itself you seem to be still be able to say 'this book wasn't for me but this is what it's like so maybe it's for you' so thank you Daniel! Love the review style!

[@laurenlovesstories]

I would say I’m a plot based reader but not necessarily to predict possible twists. I like learning about the characters through the plot. To me, that’s way more interesting than having a character driven story. I wanna see these characters face challenges and insurmountable odds and see who they are through that and after that. But if a character makes a super interesting choice that affects the plot, that’s the kinda thing I really really love.

[@jayarcher3331]

Three most important things for me in fantasy are character, narrative and world building.

[@jenna4619]

I personally love the way you review books. There are so many youtubers that I’ve watched that will do reviews focused on plot points and instead of really hearing their thoughts, their review is basically just a recap of what happened in the story which is not what I’m personally looking for in a review. Also books with a well written atmosphere and character relationships are the two biggest things I look for, which is why I can read something that could lack in plot and still really enjoy the hell out of it if it has those other two things (probably why I’m a huge Stephen King fan and why I’m willing to forgive so many things in some of his books where the plot can go off the rails)

[@karentrinkaus117]

I'm less about pacing and more about character. Character and emotion are probably the two biggest factors for me. I am getting pickier about prose lately, but that comes from writing more and being able to recognize weaknesses.

[@phoenixzohar]

About 15 years ago, I tried to read The Eye of the World. I didn't finish it. BASED ON YOUR RECOMMENDATION, I tried it again. I finished for a couple weeks ago, and I LOVED it! I went straight into The Great Hunt, finished that a couple days ago, loved it even more, and now I'm into The Dragon Reborn. Daniel Greene, you turned me into a WoT fan, with one of your videos. It was even one, specific comment that put it over the edge. Thank you for the push!

[@fredrickbass4994]

You introduced me to Book of the Ancestor and oh boy did I love it!

[@yiannis5972]

Ι think the thing I love the most in stories is plot . I loved green rider cause it was a simple fantasy about a girl who while trying to escape personal issues finds a man who gives her a letter and tells her that unless you give this to the king we are all doomed. And I loved it cause it's a simple . Then the second book gave me sth ALOT more taking the simple story and showing you the 50 ways it can become this huge world with promises of exploration . How little things suddenly make soooo much sence and how the littles of lines has the potential to become a plot rich with everything I personally want .

[@kevinobrien2630]

I like what you said about your style. It's the kind of style I would like to see applied to my books, even if the review is not positive. As much as I would like to get positive reviews, I can only grow as a writer if I receive good, honest, objective, feedback, and it sounds like you would give the kind of feedback I would need.

[@D3vilxl3gacy]

I loved Kings of the Wyld and Red Sister both because of this channel. So clearly this review system works on me.

[@jeremyturner4950]

All good writing is character driven. For me narrative and character go hand and hand. I don't need any plot information about a book. As long as the narative is driven by characterization that doesn't break or run false, the plot can be involved, driving, minimal, or even totally against my ethos, and I will still find value in it because it will make me think and reconsider and analyze my current beliefs and lead to either a personal reaffirmation or rejection of those beliefs. This is how reading help me grow as a person.

[@FatCandyProduction]

I love your review style! Far too many reviews spend alot of time summarizing the story. I don't really care about a summary, i can read that and tend to know that beforehand. But you just give me your two cents about how it makes you feel, how well it works and all and that's much more usefull to me! Also since everyone summarizes it, they all feel repetitive and then there's your review which is a breeze of fresh air giving another approach then the rest of booktube. Stay true to yourself!

[@BOD513]

Pacing is big for me, but so is lore. It depends on the writing style whether I can be comfortable with a balance of the two and whether it’s worth skipping some filler to find the story progression. For example I really like Scott Lynch’s pacing in The Lies of Locke Lamora I felt like I didn’t have to skip around at boring parts to progress the story because I was interested in the lore. As opposed to The Wheel of Time which I like that there is a bunch of lore and can read if I’m intrigued but also has loads of pages where I can skip if I needed because Robert Jordan loves his detail.

[@brianlewolfhunt]

Videos like this are very important I think because people have to choose which reviewers math their opinions best. Knowing that you enjoy lore, character relationship and atmosphere lets me know that you will always bring in those points and and your enjoyment of the book will depend heavily on those. I know that I am not quite as interested in lore so any book that fails to interest you from a lore standpoint might still interest me. It is more healthy for an audience to have some kind of expectations for the reviewers as well, so they know what to expect when they review something.

[@DeanDon333]

Honestly I come here for interest in new reads, and go to Merphy for things I've already read to gush over it. I love your style😊

[@raullara4683]

Thanks for this, this will make sure that I'm more aware when I evaluate your reviews

[@Juanpa_SC]

I´m so glad you made this video! Now that I know with more detail what is the content on your reviews I will definetly watch them more frecuently. We have similar tastes, though I think I valued more individual character depth than relationships. Gentelmen Bastards changed my mind lol. Just finished Red Seas Under Red Skies.

[@Visforelvenshireling]

Honest. Informative. Even entertaining! Once again, thank you!

[@farstrider15]

When I read something, I really love character interactions. I think this is why I love Ranger's Apprentice so much even though it's a kids book. It doesnt have magic, it's not a huge world, but these characters and how they interact is amazing. That being said, I also like magic systems. Not a huge fan of soft magic, but place a well thought out hard magic system and I'm all over it.

[@brianlewolfhunt]

The character interaction and the attempts at kid friendly medieval realism (that succeeds sometimes and fails other times) are the strengths of Rangers Apprentice and that's why I stayed with it for so long.

[@farstrider15]

@@brianlewolfhunt did you know that John Flanagan is expanding them? He is writing the Early Years about my favorite character Halt and is continuing with Will and Maddie's story with the Royal Ranger series

[@brianlewolfhunt]

@@farstrider15 I do know. While I don't particularly care for the later Brotherband books, I have been enjoying Halt's and Maddie's stories.

[@farstrider15]

@@brianlewolfhunt I didnt care much for brother and either but I'm going to give it a try once I finish some other books I'm reading

[@Yesica1993]

I've wanted to read this series for a while. I read the Brotherband series and really enjoyed it.

[@MrHangman56]

i'm exactly the same way with my own reviews. i hate focusing on story beats because i think my view on how i enjoyed the atmosphere, writing and characters, is more valuable to people watching the review than regurgitating a plot summary that's probably better written on wikipedia. that's why i love your reviews as well, you do the same thing and it makes it more interesting than hearing the plot. i like seeing what you thought of a book because you have a different view on what makes a book good than i do.

[@writerducky2589]

While I'm attracted by the story/plot/concept first, the atmosphere or tone, set in the first line or paragraph, determines the "colour lense" of the "mind movie" (and I mean this quite literally). Which is what tells me early on whether I'm going to actually enjoy the book or not. Golden/twilight colour lense: gonna love it, no matter what. Vivid-colours lense: an enjoyable ride I'll remember for a long time, likely to become a favourite. Normal-colours lense: can go to either "vivid" or "grey," or just stay neutral, judgement is reserved and based on other/more story elements. Faint or grey colour lense: hard sell, will take a lot to convince me it's worth the effort, but by then it's usually too late. Can work if it's intentional, but tends not to be. Dark/night lense: mysterious and intriguing with a touch of danger, enjoy in small doses. Dark and grey: void, empty, dead; avoid (to me, this is most sci-fi selling itself as sci-fi. There just seems to be a general lack of atmosphere, for some reason... /s) Sepia lense: earth, grit and a fuzzy television screen, enjoyment undetermined. I find the lenses may be affected by the cover at times, but not always. And then there's character dynamics and characters, closely followed by the plot itself.

[@delete8073]

I guess I've always been more plot driven as a reader, which seems to highly reflect on my writing. As time has gone by, I, like many many other readers, have sought out more character driven narratives. I always seem to default back to plot for ultimate enjoyment. I love trying to figure out the twists and turns and how to incorporate unpredictability in my own works.

[@anthonydelise316]

When I come to your reviews I already know what to expect. I understand the style of books you read and what types of fantasies you enjoy. Because I understand this, it’s easy to know how I’d feel about a book based on your reviews. However, your reviews are usually pretty unbiased.

[@lynnkinniburgh8220]

Daniel thanks for this channel. I only found you this week. Watching your reviews and talks about books has been really engaging. I only ever read horror and fantasy’ from my early teens for over 10 years. Pike, Koontz, King, Herbert, Weis and Hickman, Eddings, Tolkien, Feist, Kay, McCaffrey, Le Guin, Cannavan, Gemmell and more, but I slowly lost interest for many reason and didn’t read any fantasy or horror for over another 10 years. I’ve picked up the odd one here and there since, the likes of Rothfuss, Sanderson, Schwab, Kristoff and others, but struggled to like most of them enough to even motivate myself to read the second book. Finding this channel has definitely sparked the long buried fantasy and horror nerd in me, and I’m going to look into a few you’ve mentioned to try and get “back in to it”. Thank you 👍🏻

[@rickeydeyoung9096]

The main things I look for in a story are character work, immersion in the series and plot. I want to feel like I know the characters and they feel like real people. The same goes for the world and plot I want the plot and world to make sense and what happens in the world and plot seems like what it would be like if it happened in real life. I really appreciate you not going into spoilers in your book reviews as most of the books you review I have not read but might read in the future depending on what you say about it, although for books that I have read and you review it can be nice to talk about the story a little bit.

[@sephestra.]

I read all over the map and haven't really given a lot of focus to WHY, specifically, I like/love a book or series. Your video has prompted me to go look at my all time favorites and jot down what it is that I like about each. Perhaps I'll come away with a better understanding of my overall preferences. Because I'm pretty sure that, on the surface, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Ice Station by Matthew Reilly don't share wide array of similarities.

[@J_CtheEngineer]

Picked up Dresden and Poppy War based on your recommendation. Really enjoying them both. I’m on the 4th Dresden book and Dragon Republic and I’m totally invested!

[@irishtartan9233]

You're my favourite BookTuber, Daniel, and your enthusiasm and desire to share that enthusiasm is infectious. I really like how you choose to focus on specific factors in a book that matter to you, like character relationships and an author's voice. I think that's what helps make your reviews feel more authentic to you.

[@alexnieves]

Great video, I don't think I've ever really sat down and thought about what I look for when I pick up a book. I generally just read things I think will be interesting and then I either like it or don't. I think for me I definitely value strong/flawed characters that have a clear vision and don't tend to act out of their character. Like if a main character starts to behave differently out of nowhere to move the story along that would pull me out of it. I really value pacing, especially when dealing with multiple POV chapters. I've read certain books where a POV change just draaaaggggsss the book to a halt. When done well, it keeps me engaged in the various plot threads and character arcs. I just read Valor by John Gwynne and I think it was packed beautifully. I'll get to find out if I end up enjoying this or not as I'm starting WoT tonight, but I typically don't care about long winded descriptions about what characters are wearing or where their clothes came from, or overly descriptive settings but we'll see if I change my mind!

[@lotrchick100]

I highly respect that Daniel created this video. Thank you. PS. I may not always agree with your assessments, but I always enjoy and value your reviews.

[@MishaSalnikov]

As a person, who does skip a review video to not get spoilers for the book I didn't read, I still think I understand what people mean when they say you didn't say anything about a plot. When first I came to your channel, it was for top-smth videos, to top up my TBR with smth. And I think time and space there is in most cases just enough to decide if you want to read a book or not. When a video is dedicated to the whole book, I personally would prefer watching it not to decide to read a book, but rather as a place to "talk" about a book I've just read, like listen to your thoughts about the ending, or what parts you particularly liked/disliked, you know, like a one-sided conversation with your friend. For example, pretty much none of my friends like to read the books I like, so it's cool to come here and "discuss" things with you.

[@zollieberdy4405]

Wow, I finally was able to find your video without reloading youtube a dozen times.

[@rabidrivas]

Climaxes, having a character basically go "it's over" whe they have earn it. Stories are so much more, but I live for those moments

[@j.e.purrazzi484]

I totally get where you are coming from. I rarely want to hear people talk about plot and story, unless its super unique or heavily flawed. Character, worldbuilding, and most of all, personal opinion, are what I value in a review. Both as a reader and a writer.

[@NasirUddinShawon619]

Waited for this for a long time, man.

[@metro6567]

While characters and plot are obviously important parts to a story, I find what hooks me the most is a compelling world which ties everything together and makes the fiction feel real.

[@sentient.ball.of.stardust]

The things i really care about are characters, plot and politics/reveals/twists. But i like the way you do your reviews, they steered me in the right direction so many times and that's why i watch reviews, so i can find new books that will be my cup of tea. Now I also enjoy deep dives and spoiler reviews, but i don't think you could or should do those for every single book.

[@arnrockwell]

I'm still developing my review style but once I do, I will definitely do a video like this. Thanks a bunch.

[@farazkhan0]

For me actually The world and the Characters matters the most, if the characters are well written and the world is sprawling and filled with lore and stories, plot becomes secondary I prefer a good character over everything else also the atmosphere that helps a lot too .

[@Ghintech]

A good video idea might be getting one of your friends to pick out passages of specific fantasy books you’ve read and you have to guess who the author is

[@charles3840]

First, I really like this video and the open honesty about yourself and your own personal growth. Retrospective and honest people are who I enjoy following, and you fit that exactly. I do like hearing however you review a book, but I definitely enjoy your videos most when dive as deep as you can (like in some of your Wheel of Time and Cosmere videos). Second, for my own personal tastes, looking back and seeing what I like, you and I are pretty close. I got into reading because of the _Warriors_ series back in 4th or 5th grade or something, and that is very a character centered series. But it also contained an extremely well built world and interesting plots, and those are usually what initially pique my interest in a book. _The Name of the Wind_ was my favorite book during freshman year of high school, and I initially read it because of a reddit comment describing it as a book that would control your life. And I read the _Worm_ web serial by John C. "Wildbow" McCrae all because of this image was posted with the title "Leviathan - Endbringer" (vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/parahumans/images/b/ba/Leviathan_2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160413071334). And that series is now my all-time favorite, and it ended up having the best character arcs and relationships I have ever seen in a series. And now as I strive to write my own novel I am definitely paying extremely close attention to characters and their relationships with one another. It has become my primary interest, especially after I read Sanderson's Cosmere, The Dresden Files, _Something Wicked_, and started reading The Legend of Drizzt. Keep up the good work with your reviews. You have gotten me to read a lot of works of fiction over the past year or so (can't name them all, but I have started reading _The Wheel of Time_ because of your reviews, though quarantine has prevented me from getting more books from the library). Take care.

[@TheArchersArms]

Gotta review The Black Company by Glen Cook, it's a must read. Great relationships in those books and a very realistic tone to it.

[@Rennies-World]

Was just watching the previous video when the notification for this one came in. Breathe, Daniel! LoL I don't review books. I edit them. Sometimes makes it hard to read books.

[@FalkaRiannon]

This might be one of the most useful videos I've seen a reviewer put out. Giving me an overview of what you value in a book (or movie, game, TV-show etc) makes it way easier to judge if I would like it based on your review and having that information in a single place instead of having to watch 20-30 different reviews to learn the reviewers taste and emphasys is a bit exausting to do for every reviewer out there. P.S.: I got about 20 books you recommended around february and so far really liked every one of them I read (Shadow of the Conqueror, Never Die!, Kings of the Wyld, Rage of Dragons, Redwall and atm Poppy War).

[@LizOzone]

I really think you'll enjoy Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy, it has some of my fave characters with interesting growth and relationships.

[@michaelnelson2976]

I would seriously be down for you doing this once a year, wow this was introspective and very self aware. I enjoyed hearing this and it helps to understand you and your thoughts as they're presented. This was dope, Daniel

[@Finkeldinken]

I'm generally very much in line with you, but now that you mention pacing, that is definitely something I focus on as a reader (and in general, actually, in painting, dancing, presenting, and a lot of other arts). Thanks, this was very interesting.

[@vaildog1]

One thing I would love to see is the citing of a few examples of prose from the books you review, so we can get a direct sense of how the author writes.

[@zedorian6547]

I personally think your reviews are fine. If anything I learned a lot about how I can look at and possibly improve my own reviews. World building is extremely important to me but so is the main plot. Character relationships actually come last to me thanks to a condition I have that makes it difficult to grasp certain things involved with that. It’s probably why I like the silent protagonist in rpg games so much.

[@TheAnnimusprime]

I finished Book of the Ancestor last night. Mixed feelings, mostly positive.

[@chimmey7741]

I was looking for something to read.. Seen your reviews... Now I'm just finishing Oathbringer.. Rage of dragons is in the post.. Can't wait.. Thanks for the reviews... 🙏

[@oneoftheorder]

Attribute priorities in case it helps your estimation of the audience: 0 - (assume sci fi or fantasy, though I may cite other examples anyway) 1 - prose (top preferred examples Tolkien, Melville) - I more or less can't be convinced to read YA (unless... like... DUNE is YA) 2 - tone (top examples Vonnegut, Twain, Iain Banks) - need to appreciate tone, ideas/themes, commentary/politics, or lore or I'm out 3 - atmosphere (Poe, King) - makes a big difference, but not a must-have 4 - big ideas/themes (Herbert, Asimov, Banks) - see 2 5 - commentary/politics (China Mieville, PK Dick, Banks, Melville, Twain) - see 2; sometimes interested in total political idiocy like Ayn Rand 6 - world building/lore (Tolkien, Herbert, Mieville, King, Martin, James Corey) - see 2 7 - plot/mystery/action (Martin, Herbert, King) - I need plot, tone, and atmosphere matched pretty well in screen adaptations or I'm unhappy; I forgive a lot on character 8 - characters/relationships (Corey, Herbert, King, Martin) - as long as I really like *a* character, I'm satisfied and will forgive a lot 9 - pacing (Corey, King) - I will forgive a lot here I am much more a sci fi reader than a fantasy reader (certainly if we consider how much of the applicable "canon" I've actually covered.) Despite some big differences in what we look for in books, I find your reviews very useful.

[@xeverfirex]

Plot is king to me, pacing has to be good as well otherwise I'll get bored. Next is character, you got to like or at least enjoy the characters to enjoy a book. Prose is not as important, but can be nice. Great prose a good book does not make, but can enhance an already good book.

[@Catcupid]

I definitely appreciate atmosphere like you do, but I think I put plot a little more forward than you do. I like your reviews though. I've read enough to be able to kind of feel out what I might not like from what you say. I would also like to say that I really enjoy channels like this where I find some new authors that I haven't heard of or classic authors that I have missed. So Thank you. Enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this.

[@pitprincexx1137]

An insightful self reflection Daniel.

[@nicholaus3248]

I have realized recently that atmosphere and worldbuilding/lore are the most important aspects of a story for me. I want to feel that I'm really only seeing a sliver of a world that is as large and complex as our own. The next most important thing is probably character, by which I mean literally the personality/perspective of the main protagonist(s). I tend to get really frustrated with irrational, impulsive, or easily-confused characters to the point that it is a detriment to the story for me (Rin from The Poppy War was borderline intolerable for me, but I loved the series because of the world and the magic system).

[@Kotiare]

Daniel Green. Love your review style! Whether it's got spoilers or not, you put in a LOT of thought and work on them and present them in an entertaining manner. As the song goes, Haters gonna hate, and I say fuck em. Appreciate your content man. Thanks.

[@AsColdAsLife]

I appreciate you and your content so much!