Yes, this is very helpful. Although I've already started with A Brightness Long Ago and it hooked me. So far I've only read Sarantine Mosaic, Brightness, Lions, Under Heaven, and Arbonne. Arbonne is my emotional favorite. Probably because the lead character changes the most. I think you could also say that about Sarantine, which taken as one story, is the greatest I've ever read.
@petervandeweyer5172 жыл бұрын
I started with Tigana, continued with A song for Arbonne and then went with Under heaven and River of stars. Based on this and your previous video I bought the Sarantine Mosaic.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Fantasitic! I hope you enjoy Sarantine. You have read a bunch of my favorites, but still actually have all 3 of my favorite GGK books to go, in Lord of Emperors, A Brightness Long Ago, and The Lions of Al-Rassan
@Johanna_reads2 жыл бұрын
Wonderful video, Jake! I own the Tigana ebook and just saw The Lions of Al-Rassan on the shelf in my local library. I might now be swayed to start with the latter first. I get this wonderful feeling sweep over me when reading the opening lines of those two books. I'm really excited to get to this author at some point!
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed the video! As a bonus, if you start with Lions you get to be slightly cool for not starting with what everyone starts with. Both are fantastic books though
@MacScarfield2 жыл бұрын
Mostly agree with you, only I would phrase it in terms of what kind of “reader” you are: «Tigana» is the best starting point for people interested in world building and interesting antagonists. If you are more character focused, “The Lions of Al-Rassan”. And “A Song for Arbonne” is probably GGK’s most “action”-heavy book, with the Mercenary Blaise of Gorhaut as the main POV, rather than his usual artisan/craftsmen protagonists . #TeamBlaiseHipster 😜
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
I think that mostly works, especially in text form when you are limited by not being able to type a 4 page essay. However I think it has some limitations. The main one being it only includes 3 books. Of I include Sarantine that is another more character focused story, probably even more than Al-Rassan. Not to mention Brightness, Under Heaven, The Last Light of the Sun, or The Summer Tree. The next would be that while for example, Lions is probably a little more character focused than Tigana. It is cloae enough that I could see plenty of people disagreeing, and basically all of them are good enough at characterisation that I wouldn't want people to avoid the setting or story they find more interesting, based on being worried that one has a weak setting or characters. When I would argue none od them do. So I think of someone asks on discord this is about as good as you can do in a written response, because everything is a trade off. I prefer doing it this way, and focusing more stylistically for a video where I can use 40 minutes of time
@BooksWithBenghisKahn2 жыл бұрын
Let's goooooo!!!! This is the deep dive booktube content I am here for, and this couldn't possibly be a more relevant video as someone who owns most GGK books but hasn't started any. I'm def torn between overall pub order, his history book pub order, or just throwing caution to the wind and going for Lions or Under Heaven. At some point I just have to choose one and dive in soon. The paradox of choice!!
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Hope it works for ya. You got plenty of good options!
@mteresavaldes22512 жыл бұрын
Definitely go for 90’s GGK !
@usftrack19922 жыл бұрын
Well done. I am a GGK fan going 15 years now - Sarantine Mosaic being I believe the closest to a near perfect story that has ever been written - and you got it all right as opposed to like you said a lot of misinformation out there about the several "worlds" Kay has created. I've read all the books (only could finish Fionavar out of allegiance to him) and I agree Arbonne gets looked over criminally both as starting points and as one of his best works.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot. Also Sarantine is a very very good choice, because wow those books are good.
@mteresavaldes22512 жыл бұрын
You’re lucky! I’ve just gotten to this amazing author on a happenstance 😊 but have work cut out for me 🎉🐾🤩
@eugeneluk50502 жыл бұрын
I only recently discovered your channel, and I think the more I watch, the more I enjoy your content. My issue with a lot of other booktubers is that they all seem to have almost identical tastes in books: mainly skewing towards fast-paced, "modern" fantasy writing styles with relatively straightforward prose. As a result, most do not rank GGK's work very highly, which saddens me to see. I feel like your tastes, on the other hand, are a little broader and more unique, and you have some interesting things to say! You definitely seem like an old soul at heart. Looking forward to seeing more from your channel!
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot! I generally think I am a fan of most styles of fantasy books, as long as they are executed well, and GGK definitely fits in the camp of being executed well. Him not getting a lot of love is indeed unfortunate. Although at some point Phillip Chase, and Johanna(I recommend both channels)are going to read The Lions of Al-Rassan. And if they don't like it I will be shocked. I will patiently cultivate a GGK hype train.
@agentswarley2 жыл бұрын
This is a really great guide, thank you! I randomly started GGK with a song for arbonne, which I really liked. Then I picked up Tigana which I dnfd, because I didn’t care for how the the female plot lines all revolved around sex and for the number of inner monologues and retelling instead of showing the plot. Maybe one day I’ll try another book by him and then I’ll definitely remember your guide :)
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
I hope it works out. I think in general A Song For Arbonne is much more representative of the rest of his career than Tigana is.
@joshyaks2 жыл бұрын
This is a very well thought out and articulated video! Based on the 9 Kay books I've read so far, I can't find fault with your reasonings.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Thanks! That means a lot, cause this video took more effort than usual to get right.
@bparsons19872 жыл бұрын
Thanks Jake, this was really good and I'm much less intimidated by taking something of his on.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Glad it helped
@thirdspacemaker91415 ай бұрын
Thanks for the list! I started with Lions in 2021 but got busy with other stuff and put it down near the end of chapter 8. I was enjoying it but needed to finish some library books before they were due back, etc. and never came back to it before All the Seas of the World was released. When All the Seas of the World was published, I read that it was connected to Children and Brightness. So I read Children in 2022, Brightness last year, and am currently about 2/5 through Seas. (I don’t read a lot and DNF; only finished 19 books last year.) When I finish Seas, my plan is to return to Lions and then hit Sarantine. I might slot Arbonne or Tigana in there. It seems like the best way to look at it might be to view the 5 (or 6) Mediterranean books as a loose series, probably best read in order: Lions, Sarantine, Children, Brightness, and Seas. And then slot in Tigana, Arbonne, Last Light, and Under Heaven whenever and in whichever order the mood hits you. And save Finovar and Ysabel for the end. So far Brightness is the best. I will probably name a pet or something (daughter?) for Adria Ripoli at some point.
@jakebishop78225 ай бұрын
I know this is a long comment that probably deserves a longer reply, but Adria Ripoli is the best
@americanchic11012 жыл бұрын
Very helpful. I just put a hold on at the library for Under Heaven.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
LET'S GO
@fithfath36152 жыл бұрын
Excellent effort here Jake. Can't say I disagree with what you have to say, it all seems to make sense for new readers. I don't have the 'where to start question' as I read them as they were published. It is always good to find a newly published author who feels like they have the potential for great things, which I think the Fionavar Tapestry books did show. It's easy now to look back and say well that's not his best work, but in the 80's the books certainly showed promise.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
I actually do quite like Fionavar, but they are just so different. I think the stylistic difference is a bigger reason they are so low here
@bookreadingbilly83295 ай бұрын
Hi Jake, I’ve just read my first GGK book, a brightness long ago. It’s a 5 star read for me, I’ve just bought 5 more of his books. It’s safe to say I’m a fan now. Really enjoyed this video to work out where I’m best to go to next.
@jakebishop78225 ай бұрын
Love seeing comments like this! Brightness is amazing, and i'm glad my video could help
@DuckRon626 Жыл бұрын
My start with Guy Gavriel Kay was Tigana. Then I read A Song for Arbonne. Loved both books and am tempted to read The Saratine Mosaic. Thank you for doing this preferred reading order of a new favorite author of mine.
@jakebishop7822 Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed both. You have a lot of fantastic stories ahead of you!
@JolienReads2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Jake! I wanted to read GGK because of how much you love Hobb and this author (and I think you mentioned somewhere that you think Hobb fans will like his writing style), but didn't know you had a this video out. I have a Brightness Long Ago on my shelves so glad to hear that's a good place to start and your favorite standalone!
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed the video, and I hope you enjoy the books!
@brancellbooks2 жыл бұрын
Wow, great video, Jake! Sounds like Tigana remains the best start for any newcomers to GGK. 👁️👄👁️
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
grumble grumble It's a fine place to start
@BasalThor2 жыл бұрын
This was a great video ! You've done a lot with your content to make me very enthusiastic for GGK ! And apparently I'm a hipster because Song for Arbonne was my first GGK 😅
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Starting with A Song For Arbonne makes you cool
@coleton70482 жыл бұрын
I've already started my GGK journey, but I watched this whole video because I know how passionate you are about GGK. The Last Light of the Sun sounds really cool to me, might be my next one. Also nice thumbnail.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Thanks! It is flattering that you trust my opinion of Last Light lf the Sun more than the consensus
@coleton70482 жыл бұрын
@@jakebishop7822 Whose opinion could I possibly trust more than someone who has rightly chosen to read Changes 11 times?
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
@@coleton7048 fantastic point
@adamborst6 ай бұрын
Ping, I wondered where to start and someone on Sarah's discord gave me this link. Thanks Jake!
@jakebishop78226 ай бұрын
Thanks people on Sarah's discord
@Kristenisfullybookd2 жыл бұрын
The only thing that upsets me about this video is that you got it up before my "where to start" video and that we basically agree 100% so I can't even bring some hot takes to mine 😅 Great video
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Thanks you, and i'm sorry
@bentheoverlord2 жыл бұрын
Fantastic video man. Think I’m gonna do Under Heaven first as I’m reading a lot of Asian/Asian inspired fantasy at the moment, and I’m excited but I can’t wait to read Al-Rassan, I think on paper that could be an all time fav book for me.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
So glad you enjoyed it! That sounds like a great plan
@readbykyle30822 жыл бұрын
I will ignore this and instead reread Tigana next.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
We are now enemies
@victah82 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the video. I want to start reading Guy Gavriel Kay and was looking for some guidance where to start. Your ranking seemed really helpful, but just after finishing it, I found out that only Guy Gavriel Kay’s books currently available in Poland are “Children of earth and sky”, “The Fionavar Tapestry” and that’s it xD All the other books are sold out and it doesn’t seem like any publishing house will soon get them on the shelves again. I think he’s really not that popular in Poland :/ So, “Children of earth and sky” it is
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Lol, well, that is unfortunate, but still works
@mteresavaldes22512 жыл бұрын
Indeed, not ideal, maybe look at Abe books as a possible source of thrift books
@mimimayhem2 жыл бұрын
Jake, I suggest putting the "Guy Gavriel Kay" keyword in the title to trigger the algos. :)
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Good call
@Zivilin6 ай бұрын
Nice. I'll start with All The Sea's of the World followed by A Brightness Long Ago. 🙃
@jakebishop78226 ай бұрын
🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃
@briantomoconnorАй бұрын
Isn't that exactly what Jake told us NOT to do? Because Seas has spoilers for Brightness?
@WilliamSullivan-uv1ht10 ай бұрын
I would love to explore more of the world of Tigana. I don't need to explore the Palm more, just the other nations and cultures on said world.
@jakebishop782210 ай бұрын
ya the world is really rich, but unfortunately we are probably never getting more from it.
@WilliamSullivan-uv1ht10 ай бұрын
@@jakebishop7822 Que sera sera.
@knotslip88624 ай бұрын
Hey Jake, Thanks for this video. I haven't read any GGK and have purchased several and want to start reading some GGK and was planning on this order...do you concur or would you recommend these in a different order? Tigana, A Song for Arbonne, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Sarantine Mosaic. Thats my order so far, but Im waiting to get your input. Thanks for this video - it was very helpful.
@jakebishop78224 ай бұрын
Looks good to me. In my opinion the order you read those 4 books doesn't matter, and you should read whichever you think you will like the most
@thatsci-firogue3 ай бұрын
Jake, I need your input. I'm currently reading All the Seas of the World (I read CoE&S and then ABLA) but after this I'll only have 3 of the Non-Fionavar related books left: A Song for Arbonne River of Stars The Last Light of the Sun Which of these should I read next? I'm not worried about connections or whatever, I just want my first read of his standalones to end on a high. And because I'm excited for all 3 of them.
@jakebishop78223 ай бұрын
I think of those Arbonne is my favorite by a fair margin so you could save it for last. Most people like River of Stars more than Last Light of the Sun, but I slightly prefer Last Light. I think all 3 are really good
@jeroenadmiraal8714 Жыл бұрын
Hmm I feel conflicted. I want to read more Kay and the only book of his that I ever read was Under Heaven, maybe seven or eight years ago. And I was bored. It didn't do anything for me and I hardly remember anything from it. But I think that was also because the Asian setting was not interesting for me. Perhaps I should try A Song for Arbonne or The Lion of Al-Rassan, because their settings appeal to me more.
@jakebishop7822 Жыл бұрын
Definitely worth trying! I think Arbonne is probably the best paced GGK book, so you could give that a try
@grvhppr2 жыл бұрын
Excellent guide. As I said earlier, I did read Under Heaven years ago-pretty sure it was release year, but I didn’t track books then and can’t be too sure. Loved it and then got buried in school work. The time is now to get back into GGK and this guide will be my northern star. I do have a question for you though. How did you get GGK on your radar and did you read his oeuvre back to back? Take any breaks? Considering running through his works in the first half of 2023.
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
GGK got on my radar the way most people do. I heard people talk about his books, and say they liked them. So eventually I read Tigana and loved it. Then months later I read The Lions of Al-Rassan and loved it even more. Since then I have been reading 1 GGK book a month
@grvhppr2 жыл бұрын
Yeah fair enough. Mostly curious because I don’t see GGK talked about much and you seem to have taken a major liking to the work. I’m thinking this will be one of the big names in my 2023 TBR-hopefully enough to finish his full collection. Thanks again for your content, Jake. It’s really appreciated and love how you give space for other folks to find their way with the (albeit subjective) facts. Feelsgoodman.
@directorans2 жыл бұрын
Uh oh. I am halfway through River of Stars as my first GGK book (and loving it). Do I continue or leave it and come back to it later?
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
Eh, it's probably fine if you are loving it anyway. I would recommend in the future rereading it after you have read Under Heaven . The main reason I don't recommend starting with RoS is that I think it is slightly worse without Under Heaven, and for the people who are unsure if they want to continue, it makes more sense to start with something else. However, it doesn't really spoil the personal narratives of Under Heaven the way All The Sea's of the World does with Brightness
@directorans2 жыл бұрын
@@jakebishop7822 Thanks!
@AsfandyarSheikh2 жыл бұрын
It would be funny if this video was just Scot's "Publication Order. Always." GIF 😝
@jakebishop78222 жыл бұрын
That would be funny
@michaelpantalone171 Жыл бұрын
Man I tried Lions of Al-Rassan and struggled. Was bored, couldn't keep track of all the characters because they're names were ridiculously complicated. This was the first GGK book I read. Should I try any others? If they're all similar to lions I think I'll just move on. Tigana kinda has my interest tho
@jakebishop7822 Жыл бұрын
Hmm, interesting. GGK does like having a lot of characters. I guess A Brightness Long Ago is a little more focused on less people. You could try that
@codydues Жыл бұрын
please just label these 1 to 15 and ill read them in the order you tell me. I trust your guidance in this matter.
@jakebishop7822 Жыл бұрын
1. Lions of Al-Rassan 2. Sarantine Mosaic 3. Tigana 4. Last Light of the Sun 5. A Song For Arbonne 6 Under Heaven 7. River of Stars 8. Children of Earth and Sky 9. A Brightness Long Ago 10. All The Sea's of the World If he is one of your favorite authors 11. The Fionavar Tapestry 12. Ysabel A lot of the ordering here is arbitrary, but there you go
@codydues Жыл бұрын
@@jakebishop7822 thank you so much your the best im gonna start working on this!
@codydues Жыл бұрын
Thanks again for the list I just finished number 4 on the list (last light of the sun). I think my favorite 2 books so far is number 2 saratine mosaic