November '24 Book Reviews | Fantasy, Sci-Fi and more

[@Johanna_reads]

Josh, I couldn’t agree more with what you said about Kay’s insertion of gravitas. This qualiy of characters believably standing for something greater than themselves comes through in every Kay book I’ve read. Great reading month! Witness!

[@RedFuryBooks]

I'm so glad to understand the Witness! exclamations in Malazan now!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed Allen’s performance as the audiobook narrator of The Way of Edan, Josh! I couldn’t be happier with it myself - he’s got tremendous talent and also worked very hard on it. I’m also glad that the book stands up well as a reread and that you found some of those bread crumbs that nearly two decades of editing allowed me to include. And hooray for House of Chains - four days is indeed a feat!

[@wyluli-dt9wv]

GGK rarely disappoints. I always FEEL when I read his stuff and sadly that is not always the case for many authors. My best read last month was The Daughters' War, by Christopher Buehlman. Chris is another guy who really shines with his character work and in this prequel to The Blacktongue Thief he knocks it out of the park again. He is, for me, quickly approaching the Hobb/GGK level. High praise indeed! Try to work The Blacktongue Thief into your TBR. You'll be glad you did.

[@RedFuryBooks]

This is high praise for Buehlman and you definitely have me intrigued!

[@stevehoran6011]

So much to unpack with this video. I’m reading along with you all of the Christopher Ruocchio books on a monthly basis which aligns well with the release of the last book in the Sun Eater series next Fall. Meeting him at Dragonsteel 2024 was a highlight. Such a delightful man. I was also privileged to meet Robin Hobb and Fonda Lee along with a score of other authors and booktubers that made this book con such a delight. I picked up the audio book for Way of Edan and plan to immersively re-read it when I receive my copy from The Broken Binding. I enjoyed so much the first time and am looking forward to the re-read. I am enjoying GGK immensely thanks largely to your introduction of him. I too am trying to read all of his catalog along with you prior to the release of his new book in May 2025. I have read three books so far and enjoy enough to be looking forward to this reading experience. I’m picking up my first Malazan book in January. Wish me luck! I have five of Raymond Feist’s books on my bookshelves with two more on the way. I’m both a book collector and avid reader so many times I just need an excuse to pick books off the shelves and get reading. Your talks on Feist are just that and I will be starting with Magician soon. A long ways to go but as Sanderson says it’s about journey before destination. Thank you, Josh!

[@RedFuryBooks]

I'm so happy to hear that I helped introduce you to GGK! He's such a fantastic writer and it's just a privilege to read his works. I hope you enjoy Malazan! Just take it slow and don't be concerned when you don't grasp things - we're not supposed to! Thanks for the message and have a great reading month!

[@esmayrosalyne]

Couldn't agree more on Allen's performance. I was going to use this reread of book 1 to kickstart my binge read of the rest of the trilogy, but now I refuse to go on without the audiobooks because that experience was just unparalleled hahah. Also, congrats on finishing the Lehane project, very much looking forward to the video!

[@RedFuryBooks]

Allen really killed it! It didn't surprise me but was still so cool to experience. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series on audio!

[@bigaldoesbooktube1097]

Loved hearing your opinions as always Josh and whole heartily agree with your Way of Edan audio comments and your Malazan thoughts 👌

[@RedFuryBooks]

Thanks, Al! I appreciate it!

[@bardsandbooks]

Great video, as always. I have to find some time to revisit Midkemia, dying to get back! Glad you enjoyed House of Chains as well, I loved it so much and will probably get to Midnight Tides early next year as well. Looking forward to sharing our thoughts 🤘

[@RedFuryBooks]

Thanks, Usman! We'll have to chat about midnight Tides if our schedules align.

[@ciaranirvine]

Glad you went back and gave Malazan another try! Karsa is definitely a great character, the big lug. Midnight Tides starts a little slow IMO but builds to an avalanche of crazy, has some other fan favorite characters, and is also the last of the set-up jumping to new continents and peoples. After that one all the main pieces are on the board and we start converging towards the epic finale. Once I get through Wind and Truth, I'm definitely going to be trying the GGK books for 2025, he's next on my list of major fantasy authors

[@RedFuryBooks]

I'm really looking forward to continuing Malazan as House of Chains was fantastic. I hope you enjoy Kay as much as I have!

[@MichaelRSchultheiss]

Sounds like an amazing month! The Way of Edan was fantastic. Also, GGK is high on my list for next year. Cheers, and Merry Christmas!

[@RedFuryBooks]

I hope you love GGK as I do! Merry Christmas to you as well!

[@MuleFace100]

I just read Shutter Island last week & man, that was terrific! I found ABLA at a used book store a few days ago & am looking forward to digging into it soon.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Oh awesome!

[@BookishChas]

Great reviews Josh! I’ve never read any of the Firefly books. I feel like I need to rewatch the series lol. Your thoughts on A Brightness Long Ago makes me really intrigued to read it.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Thanks, Chas! A Firefly rewatch is almost an annual thing for me!

[@Danny_Matson]

Josh, I just read and finished my first Lehane thanks to all your talk of him this year. Mystic River! It was a good one. I didn't even realize how much I liked it until a few days after I finished it and kept thinking back to it. Gone Baby Gone will be next for me, but I'm curious to see which you recommend in that video next week. Also, beautifully said about what it is that makes GGK special. You're totally right. I've only read three of his so far, but each have incited that feeling in me too that "this is important".

[@RedFuryBooks]

I'm glad to hear Mystic River worked for you! Gone Baby Gone is another one that has one of those endings that will definitely make you think about it long afterwards. Glad you're also enjoying GGK! He's downright remarkable.

[@FranzBinder20]

Midnight Tides is magnificent, you're in for a treat! Just be prepared that again (but for the last time) it's a completely new setup on a new continent.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Good to know - thanks!

[@msj7872]

One of these days I am going to muster up some courage to start reading the Malazan books.

[@ciaranirvine]

I put off reading them for years because everyone kept banging on about how dense and complicated they were, like you needed a PhD in Literature or something. They aren't that complicated - if you have handled any of the other "big beasts" like WoT, ASOIAF, Stormlight etc - then you can handle Malazan. The first book is indeed a bit of a struggle but if you finish that confused but intrigued then keep going - the prose quality picks up a LOT from book two on. It's a huge sprawling world with dozens of factions and races and a vast historical backstory so it takes 5 entire books just to set up the chessboard LOL, but then it all converges to an epic finish.

[@RedFuryBooks]

They are daunting, and I've certainly had my bumps along the way so far, but am really glad I've picked them up. If/when you start, I'd just take them at your own pace and don't worry about being confused as there's so much in there that nobody can grasp everything.

[@gayanegasparyan4137]

So glad you’re into Malazan now! Midnight Tides and Bonehunters are some of best fantasy books I’ve read! Also I’ve read 6 books by Guy Gavriel Key and all 6 including Brightness Long Ago blew me away! Just recently finished Children of Earth and Sky and loved it as much! Recommend you to read it cause you can treat it as a non direct sequel of Brightness Long ago!

[@RedFuryBooks]

I have Children of Earth and Sky pencilled in for February. And Midnight Tides in March - I'm definitely excited to continue Malazan!

[@thatsci-firogue]

ABLA is my personal favourite GGK, admittedly Renaissance Italy is one of my favourite historical periods to read and learn about since I was a kid.

[@RedFuryBooks]

It's fantastic!

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

I will be reading A Song for Arbonne soon next year. After the Sarantine Mosaic I have a taste for more.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Excellent! Of my nine I've read by GGK, Arbonne remains my favorite!

[@JeffreyFitzpatrick-o5i]

My favourite book in November was Lions of Al-Rassan, my fourth GGK book. I’m hoping Santa brings me A Song for Arbonne or A Brightness Long Ago 😀

[@RedFuryBooks]

Yes! And I hope Santa pulls through for you!

[@jordonvh91]

Loved Shutter Island. Best read in November for me was The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Ooh, I need to read that one some time for sure!

[@thegreatwaugh]

Great video as usual! I managed to pick up Tigana at a used bookstore. Do you think it would be a good place to jump in first GGK?

[@RedFuryBooks]

Thanks! Tigana is Kay's most famous work, and while it's not my favorite, I think it's okay to start there. But if it doesn't totally work for you, definitely give another one a shot.

[@thegreatwaugh]

@@RedFuryBooks Sounds good!

[@akellerhouse83]

Hey, I read What Makes us Mighty in Nov as well! I didn't have a great reading month because my little dog died and I've been too sad to concentrate on reading. And I also had to sew my costume for Dragonsteel. But I still read 5 books, even with all that going on. I read the Firefly novel, Pillars of the Earth, Demon in White, an urban fantasy by Kim Harrison and a self-pub book. Pillars of the Earth was definitely the best one, but Demon in White was up there. That ending was amazing!

[@RedFuryBooks]

So sorry about your dog! Pillars of the Earth is amazing - glad you enjoyed it! I'm reading Howling Dark right now and enjoying it.

[@erikacironte6560]

Hi Josh, any chance you read Neville Thompson; Jackie Loves Johnser OK? Would like to read it before the movie is released but just curious if you have and if so what did you think?

[@RedFuryBooks]

I haven't heard of this one!

[@MacScarfield]

«A Brightness Long Ago» is in my Top 3 reads this year, with a good chance for the Top Spot! 😎🙌

[@RedFuryBooks]

YES! I'll likely have 2 GGK books as contenders for my book of the year!

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

What a great month! With the Lesser Devil I think it’s not so much that Hadrian was unreliable, but more that he had a major blind spot around not understanding Crispin very well and since we only get his POV he did come off in that 2-dimensional way in which Hadrian perceives him. Yessssssssssssssssss A Brightness Long Ago was an unbelievable read for me too!!! It’s just so beautiful and packs so much story and life into a single standalone.

[@RedFuryBooks]

That's a great perspective on Crispin/Hadrian - thank you! And I had remembered you raving about Brightness and I'm glad I loved it as well!

[@sjoerdth]

To add to that, it was also 30(?) years after Hadrian left, so Crispin had some time to mature 🙂

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

@@sjoerdth absolutely, great point!

[@RedFuryBooks]

@@sjoerdth another great point- thanks!

[@richardlock1631]

Book of the month for me was The Burning Land (Saxon Stories 5) by Bernard Cornwell. Bringing lots of different storylines to a conclusion this was a great entry in the series with all the usual twists and turns that Cornwell does so well; it was a breathless read and full on from start to epic finish. I also read the sixth book in the series almost straight after which was huge mistake as it was very much "after the Lord Mayor's show" and felt very ponderous and fragmented compared to the previous books. Honourable mentions this month to to Ian Rankin's Tooth And Nail and Walter Mosley's All I Did Was Shoot My Man; the latter wins the prize for one of the hugest and most bewildering cast of supporting characters I've read for a while.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I really look forward to diving into the Saxon Stories. I've read 12 or 13 by Cornwell but haven't read those ones yet.

[@angelaholmes8888]

I read 9 books My book of the month Long after we are gone by terah shelton Harris i absolutely enjoyed this book it reminds me of the series Yellowstone a family trying to keep there land

[@thatsci-firogue]

Tad Williams' To Green Angel Tower would've been my book of the month if not for Janny Wurts' Warhost of Vastmark.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Two chunkers there! I'm excited to start Tad Williams in January.

[@heidi6281]

Ugh! Brightness is just a shadow of The Lions Al-Rassan like Lions TNG! Recycling the 3 main character from Lion plus a super unlikeable protagonist and even more unlikable love interest.

[@thatsci-firogue]

Everyone's allowed to like what they like, Heidi

[@heidi6281]

@@thatsci-firogueof course! I am giving my counter-point, I am not the only one who disliked Brightness. Would you rather not I give my opinion? I can stop doing that. Do you only want to see positive comments going forward?

[@thatsci-firogue]

@heidi6281 of course you are. If I misread your comment I apologise.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Although I do see some similarities with some of the characters, I think the themes explored in A Brightness Long Ago are quite different than Lions. And there are a few "Kay-isms" in both books (Jake Bishop's term), but that's true of any author. I love them both!

[@AdjeNauseam]

Time to accept you're bald dude

[@RedFuryBooks]

Maybe I need to embrace the Bill Burr comparisons and shave my head!

[@wbbartlett]

Listening to someone read is not reading. They are performing for your entertainment. Otherwise I can claim to have read Hamlet or A Christmas Carol even though I have only ever seen other people performing it in a theatre. Or maybe I have 'read' Dr Zhivago because I saw the movie once.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Semantics. Technically speaking, you're being read to, rather than reading it yourself, but you are experiencing every word the author wrote, just through a mediary. And your Christmas Carol and Dr. Zhivago comparisons are not close to being equivalent. An audiobook narrator reads every word the author wrote, which any movie would obviously not do so. (And you should read Dr. Zhivago as it's a great book! I've never seen the movie).

[@heidi6281]

@@wbbartlett I hope your eyesight stays super strong and you never suffer from the same ailments I do! Then you can physically read books forever. Audiobooks in an app on your phone has been a “reading” revolution. Just like Mr. King who always has a paperback wherever he goes, you can “read” on line at the post office or a waiting room, even while doing the dishes!