TOP 10 Favorite Completed Book Series 2023 edition (Part 1)

This has been in the works for a while, I was going to do this yearly but I found that in 1 year the list didn't change enough, but now it has been 2 and a half years and it is time to update it.
Couldn't fit them all in 1 video sadly, part 2 will come out some day. Let me know what you think.
0:00 start
5:05 10
7:39 9
11:26 8
15:51 7, and 6
23:15 5
My goodreads : / truthless_of_shinovar
Intro music: Music is by Budapest BluesBoy
ccmixter.org/files/hepepe/25027
the music is is Creative Commons licensed for commercial use

[@christianantal8574]

Loved the arguing for these series. Giving the technical merits on each, but ultimately it's subjective enjoyment. I think it's awesome you put Codex Alera on here. And the debate between Malazan and Black Company was perfect!

[@jakebishop7822]

Thanks! People ask me what my rating system is all the time because I use decimals, but I just pick the number that reflects my enjoyment. All the stuff about plot, characters, etc, that is working backwards to figure out how much I liked it, not the actual reason.

[@maniactoon5563]

Your love of the Codex Alera is why I subscribed to your channel :)

[@jakebishop7822]

I love to hear that! Go Alera!

[@Johanna_reads]

I love how you created a new criterion for ranking 6 & 7! 😂 This was so interesting, and I’m looking forward to Part 2!

[@jakebishop7822]

Kinda worked out that the 2 similar series were right next to each other on the list, so I went with it

[@Jay_Mike]

Great video man, I always enjoy hearing your takes on things 🤙🏻

[@jakebishop7822]

Thanks!

[@Wouter_K]

Haha what a system. I'd be interested in your total spreadsheet system. Mine is way to mundane I feel. Great picks though and I love the way you explain the differences. They are straightforward takes but from a different angle than most people who discuss these series. (Now I must bump up Glen Cook somewhere in my swamped TBR)

[@jakebishop7822]

Honestly the spreadsheet is pretty lame, I basically filled it out manually. My spreadsheet skills have improved since then and I am thinking of making one that auto fills when I put in book score

[@Coleton2573]

I started reading Shadow of the Torturer yesterday, I'm only 6 chapters in but I'm really enjoying it already. Love the atmosphere and the world.

[@thatsci-firogue]

Binged the series in 2021 and I haven't read anything like it. Not my favourite series but if I'd to label something as "the best" it would probably be BotNS. Can't wait to re-read it.

[@Coleton2573]

@@thatsci-firogue High praise 👏

[@jakebishop7822]

The world is crazy, hope you continue to enjoy it!

[@petervandeweyer517]

I agree that Erikson going to black when a plan is explained is super annoying.

[@kevinhove6893]

Please show the cover of the book you are talking about- the sooner the better 🙂

[@jakebishop7822]

I kept meaning to, and kept forgetting for everything except BotNS, and frankly that was just because the edition was so nice.

[@dougsundseth6904]

Interesting list that matches my top 10 in no way at all. 8-) That said, a few comments: I like The Black Company quite a bit, but I consider it Glen Cook's second best fantasy series. I enjoy Garrett, P.I. quite a bit more. It's nice to see the Codex Alera on a top 10, because nearly everyone ignores it. That said, I like the first two books more than the rest of the series. It goes a bit too deep into "Despair, Mortals!" territory for me in later books. Looking forward to the second half of your list.

[@jakebishop7822]

One of these days I gotta read Garett PI, it is one of the things I always look for in bookstores, but probably at some point I will just have to order it on the internet

[@AnithaGadeReads]

Top 4 predictions: Dandelion, ROTE(just realized Stormlight, Sun Eater, Got, Dresden are not completed😂). Does GGK have any series? After checking your goodreads, WoT, LotR.

[@jakebishop7822]

interesting guess

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

Yaaaaas, The Black Company superiority!

[@jakebishop7822]

Soldiers live. And wonder why.

[@JosephReadsBooks]

I love the concept of book GPA. (As I watch I'm writing this comment so it will be a wall of text but I will try to keep it brief if I agree with you since I don't need to preach to the choir 😅)(I lied. I'm going to comment on everything.) I read Jade City but I never finished the trilogy. I need to look into doing that. The only Hobb I have read is the Soldier's Son trilogy and I tend to agree with the people on Goodreads. It is my brother's favorite series of all time which is the only reason I kept reading it. I enjoyed the second book quite a bit but by the time I finished it the ending made me feel like I wasted my time. Endings aren't the end all, be all for me but it was the just the last straw. I had planned on reading the Farseer trilogy soon after reading this trilogy but when I finished I decided to wait a while. That was three years ago... I liked her world building and how she was so deft at turning traditional fantasy tropes and social conventions on their head but for me the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. I do agree 100% with how great she is at crafting characters. I'm too dumb to comment on Gene Wolfe beyond I love the series. Definitely in my top 10 as well. Delving into his works makes my brain hurt in a good way. I'm 100% on board with The Black Company a hair above Malazan. They might be my top two of all time. Glen Cook is the god of "the little things". Those beautiful sentences just sneak up on you and punch you in the gut. Things like dropping the Plain of Fear on you out of nowhere and the more you think about the more freaked out you get. The quotes you mentioned, etc... The new narrator and the 300 pages of POV were incredibly jarring. I was so lost for so long in that book. Erikson is the better writer but I like The Black Company more. The Annalist "meta" conversations and critiques of the other narrators is my happy place. I will be starting Codex Alera soon. I love the Dresden Files and Jim Butcher's writing. Fantastic video! Time to leave a comment on part 2.

[@jakebishop7822]

Interesting, I quite liked the ending of Soldier Son, but I know Josh had similar issues as you. Glad i'm not the only one like this with Black Company and Malazan. I hope you like Alera, very exciting. thanks, I like wall of text comments

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Secondary world urban fantasy yesssss 💪 Great choice for # 10 in Green Bone! I’m def intrigued with Soldier Son-love it when everyone’s aims seem organic and not author contrived

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Right with you on those two big Malazan complaints. Most authors just skip the planning discussions between characters but Erikson for some reason decided to have them and just have them say nothing!! Great choice though for a top series, and I can’t wait to try Black Company and Alera!!

[@jakebishop7822]

Man I am really curious what you think of Soldier Son. If there has ever been a 1 star or 5 star series for someone, it is Soldier Son for you

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

@@jakebishop7822 ooooh so juicy

[@angelamccollister]

I read the entire Soldier Son trilogy when it came out years ago and unhauled it because of the extreme fat phobia. I'm usually not too sensitive to things like that, but it really bothered me in this one and remains probably my most disappointing read of all time because I love RotE. From what I remember, she wasn't treating the characters' fat phobia as a virtuous, but there also wasn't anything that challenged that attitude either.

[@fithfath3615]

I'm enjoying your list Jake, interestingly enough I've not read any of the book series on there. Although my son did give me the Green Bone Saga for Christmas, so I will be starting that shortly. I have been interested in reading The Book Of The New Sun and The Black company books also. I'll have to try them sometime soon.

[@jakebishop7822]

Your son clearly has good taste. I can never keep track of what you have read other than De Lint, and a couple other things but part 2 definitely has something you have read

[@fithfath3615]

@@jakebishop7822 In return I got my son 2 versions of Beowulf and the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. My other son got me a Judge Dredd Collection so yes they both have excellent taste. 😀 I can't keep track of what I've read neither, but that's just age combined with all my books being in boxes. Looking forward to part 2 even more now.

[@AnithaGadeReads]

More like Top 10-5 😜

[@jakebishop7822]

it says part 1!

[@roos3222]

I'm currently halfway through Jade War and all I have to say is that this trilogy is shaping up to be phenomenal. The only minor gripes I've had so far have been some line editing that could've been a bit tighter, but the finished product absolutely doesn't suffer from it.

[@jakebishop7822]

Let's go! Glad you are enjoying it. The back half of Jade War goes hard.

[@roos3222]

@@jakebishop7822 So, the update is that it is currently midnight and I've been meaning to find a break to put the book down, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I'm finishing this book tonight.

[@jakebishop7822]

@@roos3222 this might sound like a bad choice, but it is actually a good choice

[@roos3222]

@@jakebishop7822 It's so good. I might get jade withdrawal when I'm done.

[@roos3222]

@@jakebishop7822 It is done... What in the fuck!!! Now I need to read Jade Legacy

[@Shaad2321]

I was waiting for this video and then you had to split it! Your top 4 is ROTE, Stormlight, Dresden, dandelion dynasty! Do you conder a duology part of the list then theres potential for saratine modaic! Edit I realized Stormlight and Dresden are not complete so I would sub the out for sarantine and mistborn or WOT!

[@jakebishop7822]

we shall see

[@thatsci-firogue]

Man, I'm still sad Black Company was such a miss for me cuz i don't even dislike anything about it, i just didn't love it and was indifferent on the story. Oh well, that's the beauty of books.

[@jakebishop7822]

It be like that sometimes

[@esmayrosalyne]

I will never get tired of your unapologetically complex rating systems and then 'F it all' attitude when ranking the list, lol. I am honestly way more eager to check out Codex Alera than Dresden, so I love this gushing here. And heeeck yes for Greenbone!! Can't wait for the rest of the list 🤩

[@jakebishop7822]

It is my way, also accidentally procrastinating for 3 months before making part 2 could also be my way, but hopefully not, we will see

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@jakebishop7822 if it happens, I am sure it will be worth the wait hahahah

[@calebmauer1751]

I read Green Bone Saga this year, I loved it! That last book where we see them change over so much time had so much brilliant payoff for the setup, right to the very end, I don't think I've ever read anything like that and the author really pulled off something special with that trilogy. Glad you liked Book of the New Sun, it's a classic. You can definitely see the impact on Christopher Ruocchio. I need to read it again. That Frankenstein/Monster inversion was pretty funny. Did you read Urth of the New Sun? If not, I'd recommend it, it's the hardest one to read and understand but to me it's pretty essential. I like your reasoning on Malazan and Black Company. I agree, some of his quirks are pretty annoying. Plus, he tries to tell us it's not grimdark but then throws in Children of the Dead Seed and hobbling. I think he has a definition of grimdark that isn't the standard interpretation. That said, I'm still gonna read all his books, even the last Kharkhanas trilogy book, and that trilogy is even more grimdark and does the opposite of most prequels by making things in the main series harder to understand.

[@jakebishop7822]

I did read Urth of the New Sun! I consider it a necessary part of the series, and it was on my top 10 list for the year. I generally have stopped trying to figure out whether things are grimdark, as far as I can tell for any popular series, someone out their thinks it's YA, and someone else thinks it's grimdark. The clan is my blood, and the pillar it's master!

[@Page_max]

Codex Alera > Dresden Files. Fight me.

[@jakebishop7822]

I don't agree, but for me it is close enough that i'm not going to fight you about it, and want more Alera love, so shall support you in your endeavor to shout it to the world!