5-star BIG Books | Top 20 Best Massive Books I've Ever Read! (As of 2024)

[@libraryofaviking]

Great video, mate! Currently reading To Green Angel Tower and it is fantastic but SO LONG!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thanks mate! Hahaha I totally get that. It's a HUGE book. Consider it an achievement when you read it!

[@Speed202]

I have a love hate relationship with Tad Wiliams. His writing is beautiful and he gives you these really impactful and reflective moments with his characters that make the reader understand their motivations and desires. However, he strings you along for so looooong. The pay off can feel underwhelming because of the time it takes to get there. :-)

[@SwagDragon1]

I know publishing doesn’t favor huge books anymore. They’re so expensive to produce, so expensive to charge people to read, and in general such a massive investment. But man, massive books are often times the ones that have the best emotional payout for me. The scale of the journey, the freedom to really get lost in the prose. They just hit different. Also, amazing list. Double also, Bryan Staveley, get us Book 2 in Ashes please!!!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! I completely agree. Big books when they're done right tend to deliver unforgettable stories. At the very least, 200k words fantasy book!

[@H9715-fj5fk]

that is utter bonkers misinformation. i have some experience in publishing and publishers love their big books for some reason and they go out of hand not to edit out. industry likes to make books big for some perverse reason especially in sff . all these books are if edited properly would be half the length

[@SwagDragon1]

@ the evidence would suggest otherwise. Debut word counts are growing slimmer and slimmer, especially in SFF. Word count limits are being placed on established authors, especially in SFF. The price of paper and binding has increased pretty dramatically from before Covid, and is definitely pushing the price of production up - especially for longer books. If you’re an established best seller, there is leniency, but those are the exceptions, not the rules.

[@H9715-fj5fk]

@@SwagDragon1 just got bookscan and look up of word count average and book wight average for usa and you in for a surprise

[@H9715-fj5fk]

@@SwagDragon1 THE EVIDENCE is in Bookscan

[@michellecasey1890]

I'm reading Fool's Quest right now and you're getting me so hyped for Assassin's Fate!!

[@PetrikLeo]

Prepare a lot of tissues. Emotional damage imminent!!!

[@michellecasey1890]

@@PetrikLeo it ain't Robin Hobb without an unnecessary amount of emotional damage 😂

[@shadowoflugia]

The Tawny Man trilogy is soooopo gooooooood!!!

[@Josyeliel]

I loved Pillars of the Earth. Characters were so detailed, no need to feed you descriptions of them, instead he showed you who they were and they were so mature and with so many complexities that they felt as real as family.

[@AndrewFrancisIlyrian]

Men suck, women fuck. That's what you consider complex?

[@PetrikLeo]

Well said! The characterizations are amazing. It felt like there's a proper undedstanding and reasoning behind the character's behavior! 😄

[@amy_harboredinpages]

BIG BOOKS!!!!! Ryan's latest book is the best I've read in the past year.... but before that, I'd have had to give it to Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series. Those are some chunky books and a huge part of my reading journey. I guess I went through a phase of reading a lot of Pre-historical fiction! I just remembered theres a series i never fininshed written by a husband & wife... omg! I would find time with my plans for fantasy reading in 2025?!

[@noname3609]

Reading Deadhouse Gates atm, love it!!! ❤

[@PetrikLeo]

@@noname3609 That's a great one, enjoy!! 😄😄

[@TallShepherd]

Awesome list Petrik! Very daunting set of books, happy to have conquered some of 'em but ooh boy after doing two back to back Malazan books earlier this year I've needed some lighter(weight) reads!

[@PetrikLeo]

@@TallShepherd Malazan can certainly do that! Thank you, Jack!!

[@esmayrosalyne]

Nothing beats a satisfying chunker!! I am so with you on Speaking Bones, OWAR and Stormlight Archive. And of course, my girl Gwennaaaa!!! I am dying for updates on book 2, it's been too long 🥲

[@PetrikLeo]

Soooo true! Glad you agree, my friend! I hope Empire's Ruin sequel will come out soon!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

I knew you'd love Pillars of the Earth. 100 percent success rate with folks I recommend it to. Right there with Lonesome Dove in a can't miss 5-star read.

[@PetrikLeo]

@@mikesbookreviews You were absolutely right. This just mean I need to read Lonesome Dove!

[@puzzlingread]

Lonesome Dove was amazing. I'm due for a re-read 😊

[@PetrikLeo]

@@puzzlingread i need to read that for the first time!!

[@ellieb3930]

I saw the TV miniseries waaay back and always intended to read the book so I just picked up a copy about a month ago

[@ToddsBookTube91]

Great video Petrik! I read the first few chapters of The Dragonbone Chair it was a slow start, but I'm going to be back at it again soon! I read The Forgetting Moon and enjoyed it greatly! I wasn't super impressed with The Blackest Heart, I'm on The Lonesome Crown now, and I'm enjoying it!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! Ah too bad about Blackest Heart. Here's hoping Lonesome Crown hitting harder and better for you!

[@houseofthegoldenflower3534]

The Empires Ruin is very underrated,it was a pleasant surprise how good it was.

[@PetrikLeo]

I completely agree. Deserves more readership for sure!

[@triing210]

Thank you! I've been wondering why so few booktubers have mentioned stavely, and thought I was an outlier for how much I enjoyed the first trilogy.

[@PetrikLeo]

Yeahh! Criminally underrated author in the genre, IMO!

[@ellieb3930]

I'm reading Malazan now on book 8. Up to this point I absolutely agree with your summation of Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides, and The Bonehunters. I'm not far enough into Toll the Hounds yet but if it keeps going the way it is I will agree with that one too.

[@PetrikLeo]

Toll the Hounds is a treasure for philosophies and also one of the greatest ending in the series. I hope you'll love it as much as I did! 😄

[@Speed202]

Empire's Ruin was quite good. It was the first fantasy book I read that had me turning page after page with eagerness to see how the plot lines resolved. I enjoyed all of the POVs.

[@PetrikLeo]

Glad you loved Empire's Ruin! It was absolutely incredible, IMO! :)

[@ZOMGfantasy]

Oof, love this list of absolute chonkers. A bunch of my favourite books (Assassin's Fate and ASOIAF in particular!) Can't wait to read the rest of these, especially Suneater & Pillars of the Earth :D

[@PetrikLeo]

I think you'll love those books! They're amazing. Assassin's Fate is special though! 😄

[@michaeljdauben]

I recently picked up a copy of Pillars of the Earth. I'm hoping to start reading it early next year. 🤞

[@PetrikLeo]

Wonderful! Hope you'll love it! :)

[@cryingdemon]

From the title alone I knew stormlight would be on this list. Was not expecting 5 warrior angels though. Great series, and it honestly didn't FEEL like long books IMO. Credit to Durfee for making it/them flow so well.

[@PetrikLeo]

Totally agree. 5 Warrior Angels is a criminally underrated series!

[@nicholasczech6973]

All Great Picks Petrik! Tad Williams is absolutely one of my own, very favorite writers as well. His books can be quite the Crusade to pillage onward and through. However, absolutely well worth it! I have each set in the UK Broken Binding and waiting eagerly for To Green Angel Tower also. Can you perhaps give RedWall by Brian Jacques a go with Lloyd Alexander’s the Chronicles of Prydain.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! I'm waiting for my copies of Green Angel Tower too! I need to try Pyrdain someday!

[@old_Army_guy]

Great list. I agree that Brian Staveley is very underrated more people should read his books. I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel to the Empires Ruin. My fav is Stormlight Archive. Wind and Truth will consume much of my January. I took exception to Dandelion Empire. I’m one of those that read Grace of Kings and dropped it. Very difficult to read and really no endearing characters other than Kuni. My opinion. Anyway keep up the good work. We have similar tastes in books and I really enjoy your channel.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you!! Don't worry about it. You should try Wall of Storms when you can. The characterizations is top notch above Grace of Kings. Like you though I'm so pumped for Wind and Truth and Empire's Ruin sequel!

[@Henry-jp3mc]

I've been grinding through Oathbringer for 200 years

[@PetrikLeo]

Ohhh nooo 😂😂

[@finnmyers7137]

It’s probably my least favorite of the series. Everything with Dalinar is amazing though

[@bunille]

I'd recommend The Pillars of the Earth

[@PetrikLeo]

@@bunille such an amazing book!

[@DanielsBookNook]

I loved Disquiet Gods so much, I felt like Ashes Of Man wasn’t as good. So stoked for the final book!

[@PetrikLeo]

Ashes of Man is my least favorite of the series. Still pretty damn good though!!

[@Speed202]

Shogun by James Clavel....it's a long one but I was never bored and was immersed every step of the way.

[@PetrikLeo]

I loveeee the TV show adaptation. Need to finish the book someday!

[@gabrield4892]

You may have just become my favourite booktuber.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! 😄

[@Filthyanimal9]

Fun list, thx for sharing! Looking forward to starting Stormlight Archive next year!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! Ah, you have an incredible experience ahead of you! 😄😄

[@ryandberry1]

Great List!!

[@PetrikLeo]

@@ryandberry1 thank you so much!

[@d7LS]

I said the exact same thing about storm of swords in my review: if i hadn’t watched the show first, it might be my favorite book of all time

[@PetrikLeo]

Only our alternate universe will know! 😆

[@T-Flow79]

I will eventually read all of these!

[@PetrikLeo]

You can do it! I believe in you! 😄

[@fcsolis]

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. The romance of Meggie and Father de Bricassart is the most awesome drama. For three days I did nothing but read it. When I was sixteen. Thank you.

[@PetrikLeo]

I need to try Colleen McCullough's books! I've heard so many great things about her Rome series+

[@bookmarkswithjason9445]

Grace of Kings ended so perfect for me that I’ve been afraid to move on to the next installments. I just finished Stone of farewell, and struggled to get through the 3rd act. Easily the biggest example of middle book syndrome.

[@PetrikLeo]

Wall of Storms is better than Grace of Kings in every possible way IMO! 😊

[@djsuth7727]

I'd include LOTR ( counting the 3 parts as one book ). Btw, regards Malazan, Deadhouse Gates, The Bonehunters and Toll the Hounds are my top 3 ! I've been meaning to read Ken Follet's series for ages ... must jump on it next year.

[@PetrikLeo]

Oh yeah I guess that's true! I keep forgetting LotR is technically one big book! 🤣

[@Jaffacake786]

About to start House of Chains and I’m already thinking about re-reading the first three 😂

[@PetrikLeo]

Hahahaha! Power of great books! 🤣

[@handlechar568]

what are you using to insert notes into books? i'm looking for a discrete way of doing this, but all I can find online are multicoloured paper tabs.

[@PetrikLeo]

I highlight them on my Kindle! 😂

[@Murcatto-hu1ym]

Have you read The Wandering Inn, Petrik? That does seem to blow all the other books out of the water in page count.

[@PetrikLeo]

Not yet. Precisely because it 's just too ridicilously huge. 😂

[@shadowoflugia]

I need to start the last book of the Rain Wilds Chronicles. And then I’ll start Fitz and the Fool! 😭

[@shadowoflugia]

Next year I’m _definitely_ starting Christopher Ruocchio and Tad Williams!

[@PetrikLeo]

Yesss do it! Fitz and the Fool is masterful!! 🤩

[@davidr9104]

You put Empire's Ruin on my list of books to check out

[@PetrikLeo]

I hope you'll love it!

[@mariareadsssf]

Here for more love for "The Dandelion Dynasty" and Ken Liu.

[@PetrikLeo]

Always!! 😄 Teeth on the board!

[@adamborst]

Looking forward to, hopefully, getting into 5 Warrior Angels, Dandelion Dynasty, and The Bound and the Broken in 2025. Hopefully, that's a lot of pages.

[@PetrikLeo]

Wow! Ambitious. But those are pages of amazing experience. Enjoy! 😄

[@caitlinl2750]

I’ve read all but Green Angel tower!

[@PetrikLeo]

Time to get to it!! 😄😄

[@Weasel3001]

Malazan is the best finished epic Fantasy series of all time.

[@PetrikLeo]

@@Weasel3001 world-building scope second to none!

[@xRadiantOne]

With respect to Empire of Ruin should I read the trilogy set before that? When I bought it I didn't know it was the start of a sequel trilogy.

[@PetrikLeo]

IMO, much better to read the first trilogy first. A lot of development and characterizations given to Gwenna the MC there!

[@GentleGiantJason]

Thanks for asking this question. I had the same thoughts watching this video.

[@mbranche4234]

Just started The Sun Eater series!

[@PetrikLeo]

Beautiful. Enjoy!!!

[@JulieTheReader]

I enjoyed The Grace of Kings, but was blown away by The Wall of Storms. Unfortunately, I forgot to pick the series back up when The Veiled Throne came out. One of 2025 goals will be rectifying this!

[@PetrikLeo]

Wall of Storms is on another level of brilliance. A reread and then read the rest of the series! 😄

[@JulieTheReader]

Oh, definitely! I wouldn’t dream of just starting with Book 3 after so many years. (Plus I want to experience that epic nighttime battle in Book 2 all over again.)

[@VoyagesIntoImagination]

I was pretty meh on the first book of The Bound and the Broken, but I am at this point going to read more of it. Probably not that soon.

[@PetrikLeo]

Second book and beyond is a massive upgrade! 😄 If you don't like ODAL, drop the series!

[@nazimelmardi]

Asian Saga easily can sit next to Pillars of the Earth. And there is The Stand by King.

[@PetrikLeo]

Stand was good but the ending ruined it for me. 😂

[@nazimelmardi]

@ Asian Saga on the other hand should be in schools, I read them when I was a teen. It’s perspective that not always the west is the best especially in China is peak.

[@Chance.Dillon]

That right is getting one heck of a workout holding those puppies up-I tell ya what

[@PetrikLeo]

Hahahaha that's true! 🤣

[@StannisBaratheonOTK]

A very timely topic with Wind and Truth coming in a couple days!

[@PetrikLeo]

Right!?? 2 more days!

[@ПавелГрушин-д2щ]

Haven't listened to Staveley's latest offering, BUT veteran Michael A. Stackpole has this hefty book. With giant attacking birds and Judge Dredd-style characters. It's called "Talion: Revenant".

[@PetrikLeo]

Whoa that sounds awesome! I'll have to check that!

[@ПавелГрушин-д2щ]

@PetrikLeo and one more book. Raymond Feist's "Fairie Tale". Not the part of his epic galore too *winks*

[@Josyeliel]

I hope you give the new book The wingspan of Treason a try. It is amazing and just 25% through

[@PetrikLeo]

I haven't read that one yet! Heard some great things about it though!

[@Josyeliel]

@@PetrikLeois a long book but definitely worth reading. The fantastical elements come in little snippets over time and I think is better for it.

[@ozkantd]

Where do you find the word counts for your books? I have the darndest time finding the actual word counts for books.

[@PetrikLeo]

Kobo is a really good place. Their ebooks always have very accurate word count!

[@ozkantd]

@@PetrikLeo Thank you!

[@Olphas]

What is a good way to find out the word count of books? I struggle to find a consistent way that is not just mostly guessing. Page count is really not the best way, because that depends so much on font size, line spacing and things like that.

[@SwagDragon1]

@@Olphas you can google it and see some pretty good guesses. Sometimes authors will also share the final word counts of drafts, especially if the books are big. If you want to estimate it relatively closes, open a book to a random full page, count the individual words and then multiply by the total pages of the book. That’s a quick and dirty way to get a relative number.

[@puzzlingread]

@Olphas I googled "word count" followed by the name of the book and that seemed to work. For example, "word count a storm of swords"

[@Olphas]

@@puzzlingread For the well known ones, yes. But as soon as it is something not super popular it seems mostly guesswork

[@puzzlingread]

@@Olphas Dang, you're right. I tried checking a less well-known title and it doesn't show up 😕

[@PetrikLeo]

Check out the books you want on Kobo website! They have very accurate word count on each book they have. 😄

[@ladymairreads]

I don’t think I’ve cried as much as I did in Assassins Fate

[@PetrikLeo]

@@ladymairreads that book is pure emotional damage. 🥲

[@rumi885]

Do you have an advance copy of Wind & Truth?

[@PetrikLeo]

I don't. 😂

[@rumi885]

@ well I guess we’ll all be surprised together then when the book comes out tomorrow! 😁

[@elstriker2020]

I REALLY, REALLY want to like Tad William's works, but sadly his works is not right up on my alley😥

[@PetrikLeo]

Ahh that happens sometimes. No need to force it! 😂

[@unpretentious_book_talk]

How are you getting the word count of these books?

[@PetrikLeo]

@@unpretentious_book_talk they're on Kobo website!

[@9TITAN6]

but i will add them to THE LIST

[@johndavis6280]

I still need to be convinced to pick up Durfee's series, i hear a lot of reason for its halt in popularity is because of a lot of sexism towards women and so female readers have a really hard time getting into the series because of how objectified women are. I don't want to just believe negatives and i trust you as a source. I have a hard time looking past prejudices in writing, even if accidental. Would you say that might be a problem for a reader who pays attention to things like that. I understand characters being sexist is not sexism, but apparently its the way the author introduces and describes characters. I know Robert Jordan had some criticism for his female descriptions, but only in a small portion of his books. I am worried that this will pull me out if i begin reading this series. Would you say its not as prevalent as i have been led to believe or should i probably give this series a pass? If Mr. Durfee see's this comment please know it is not a slight and i am just trying to make sure i don't waste my time, but i am very intrigued by his series and the description.

[@tracejefferson3169]

I'm a female who read the trilogy this year and really enjoyed it, please give it a try!

[@PetrikLeo]

I didn't get that feel. Robert Jordan is much much worse when it comes to this, IMO.

[@johndavis6280]

@PetrikLeo & @ trace I will definitely give yhe series a chance now. Thank you.

[@kevinkraftable]

Pillars of the Earth...this book for me was just torture and not enough reward by the end. I would have loved it if the characters we liked got more than they did...but by the time the guys we dont like get what they deserve they are already at the end of their life. Not enough payoff by the end of the book for me.

[@PetrikLeo]

That's fair!!

[@JamesA-b8p]

Pillars of the Earth was great. #2 World Without End is more of the same and bored me to death. #1 (POTE) worked fine as a standalone. Enough with the Cathedrals.

[@PetrikLeo]

OUCH 😂

[@neondemon5137]

Can you use the page count as well, word number means nothing to me.

[@PetrikLeo]

@@neondemon5137 all of them at least 800 pages long depending on the edition

[@finnmyers7137]

The problem is that page count doesn’t mean all that much. Word count is a much better indicator of a book’s length.

[@OnlyTheBestFantasyNovels]

Chunky list 😂

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! 😄

[@TimePass-so9xm]

Bro recommend me the scrariest book you have ever read. I need some kick in my life😂.

[@PetrikLeo]

Ah, I don't read a lot of horror books unfortunately!! 😂

[@zenthepoet.]

Peeeetrik

[@PetrikLeo]

Zeeennnn!

[@DyrkAshton]

Who needs a gym when you have all that handy weight around :)

[@PetrikLeo]

@@DyrkAshton moving them is my exercise. 😂

[@9TITAN6]

i am a beginner ans i have to say i am overwhelmed 🥲

[@PetrikLeo]

Hahaha no worries. Take your time!