20 First Lines From Fantasy Books RANKED | 2 To Ramble #89
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- Опубликовано: 13 июл 2024
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:27 - A Court of Thorns and Roses
5:07 - Alices Adventures in Wonderland
7:49 - American Gods
9:04 - Assassin's Apprentice
11:37 - The Blacktongue Thief
18:20 - The Blade Itself
19:55 - Eragon
21:44 - The Eye of the World
25:52 - Fourth Wing
28:33 - Going Postal
30:00 - Game of Thrones
31:55 - The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
34:52 - Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone
36:33 - The Hobbit
41:50 - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
43:51 - The Last Unicorn
44:49 - Lies of Locke Lamora
48:19 - The Fellowship of the Ring
50:46 - Malazan - Gardens of the Moon
53:15 - Malice
55:10 - Men at Arms
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"Prince Raoden of Arelon awoke early that morning, completely unaware that he had been damned for all eternity." - Elantris, Brandon Sanderson
This is my all time favorite opening line!
LOOOOVE THIS ONE
It’s a fantastic opening line! I put that as high a if not s.
I just finished this, starting my journey into the Cosmere. It’s a wonderful start not only for a book, but for a vast universe
I never read this book, only this one line, months before, and I still recognised it immediately 😮
My favorite will forever be "Look, I didn't want to be a halfblood." from Percy Jackson.
I remember reading this as a kid and going "ooh, so sassy! and what IS a halfblood? Tell me more!" so yeah, hooked on the first line
I (Austin) am full on board - such a great line and middle school me was obsessed with the series. Might need to reread it as an adult!
@@2ToRamble You absolutely should! I plan on rereading it next year (and actually getting to read the others from the same universe that I haven't yet) So I'm definetely eager to hear your thoughts on it now haha
Loved Percy Jackson sooo much as a kid. But now I think that it’s clearly very corny- middle school writing. Which is perfectly fine because it’s a childrens book. But still, I don’t think it’s all that amazing
@@beelissa_4 REPLIES
@@TheCosmerenaut1that cornyness is kinda the part of its charm, adds character imo
"Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, wore white on the day he was to kill a king." -Way Of Kings, Stormlight.
Still rocks. I love openings that put so many questions in my mind. And the assassination of a King? hell yeah that's a good way to start a book
Yeah but then he proceeded to wear white for like two books (I’m only on WOR)
I don't remember the first sentence of the prologue for way for kings, but the prologue itself made me so excited and curious.
So good
isnt there a prelude before this, but yes this line gives you the chills
@@shyampadia
There is but it's not that cool until you've read Oathbringer. The "wore white" opening is generally considered the real start
“The building was on fire, and it wasn’t my fault.” -Dresden. Blood Rites
Urban fantasy true but still a banger
Ah! We missed Dresden, damn
Dresden has Great openings. 😊
There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.
Absolutely great first line from Voyage of the Dawntreader
Oh yea - This is in our part 2 👊
never heard of that series or that line but i love it
@@austinoverthere8898 It's the 3rd book from the Chronicles of Narnia series
That Game of Thrones opener is great. It's not about the weather at all. It's literally saying "winter is coming" but in other word. And we all know what that actually means.
Exactly my thoughts
I really love this first lines from Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (haven't even read the book yet, just bought it because of that line): From Prologue :"It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size." And from first chapter: "No child truly believes they will be hanged."
Oh definitely - We cover this in part 2 coming on Monday
I have to agree about Red Sister!
How could forget the ICONIC Mistborn first line.
"Ash fell from the sky."
This is in our part 2 next week 👀
@@2ToRambleI will also say, if you haven't read Kindred by Octavia Butler I highly recommend it. It has a great opening line: "I lost an arm on my last trip home."
GOATed
I would have lived in peace, but my enemies brought me war. - Red Rising, Pierce Brown
Definitely doing this for our sci-fi first lines vid!
"the snow in the mountains was melting and bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation"
probably my favourite first line
it basically had me hooked the second i picked it up
“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.”
Love this opening
Oo what book is this?
I think is the night Circus from Erin morgenstern. I love your channel guys 😍
Yes! The Night Circus, it’s a “no plot just vibes” book full of purple prose.
The Night Circus truly was an experience.
@@abbeyroche2983I usually hate those types of books, but idk Night Circus is special
Here’s the best opening you missed:
“IT WAS NIGHT AGAIN. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts. The most obvious part was a hollow, echoing quiet, made by things that were lacking. If there had been a wind it would have sighed through the trees, set the inn's sign creaking on its hooks, and brushed the silence down the road like trailing autumn leaves. If there had been a crowd, even a handful of men inside the inn, they would have filled the silence with conversation and laughter, the clatter and clamor one expects from a drinking house during the dark hours of night. If there had been music…but no, of course there was no music. In fact there were none of these things, and so the silence remained.”
And honestly the whole page long prologue is the opening, and the whole thing is unmatched.
We read this entire opening in part 2 next week - we’re on the same page 🤝
I was thinking of this entire opening page the whole time they were discussing! I actually shared this with my mother who doesn’t read fantasy because it’s just so amazingly well written! It speaks to me on some many levels.
No instead we get the sophomoric dorky awful dialogue Wheel Of Time which reads like a 12 year old wrote it has a terrible ending and is very derivative although to be fair it does have some great ideas in it but it's just so poorly written it should be a YA novel.
I actually think Eldest from the Eragon books has an A tier opening line. “The sogs of the dead are the lamentations of the living.”
I came here specifically for The Dark Tower. Not only is the opening line a banger, the way The story goes makes it even better on a reread. More people need to read this story
"Dear You, the body you are wearing used to be mine." - The Rook by David O'Malley
Wheel of Time beginning to me, just sounds like a fantasy update on the American soapie Days of Our Lives “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”
😂😂 i need Richard to read this comment
“Joost had two problems: the moon and his moustache.” - six of crows. Amazing book with an intriguing humorous first line😂
Great line!
“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.” - Shirley Jackson, Haunting of Hill House.
My all-time favorite.
The first line I randomly came up with, "The village's doom was fast approaching. Naturally, they held a conference about it."
Crap, I’m starting to get ideas now, I may have to write it.
This is great. I want to read it now
Bro that’s a banger
Dude that’s awesome! Now you have to write a book so I can read this story!
That made me laugh
That sounds like something the Two Rivers folk would do!
Richard convinced me to start reading the Wheel of Time series. Currently on book 7 and still loving it! Thanks Richard :)
I literally have read the wheel of time series twice through since the start of the pandemic. I honestly wish there were more books!
In case this helps, The Last Unicorn is a modern classic. You aren’t familiar with it because the original publisher screwed Beagle and they ended up in a decades long court battle. The author recently won and has a new publisher. His works are all being rereleased. Buy them and read them. Peter S. Beagle is incredible. 😊
Ahh! Had no clue - that’s great to hear it’s out again
"Kell wore a very peculiar coat."
A Darker Shade of Magic
"Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache."
Six of Crows
The first line of ADSOM is my favourite first line ever
Poor Joost did not deserve anything that has happened to him 😢
Stephen King published his 80th book this year. Counting full length novels and short story and novella collections. The average is 1.6 books per year published.
Brandon Sanderson published 35 books counting Wheel Of Time, Cosmere, Alcatraz, Cytoverse, The Reckoners, Legion & Standalones. 1.9 books per year, if he produces 2 books a year for the next 23 years he will be 71 when he reaches King.
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence “It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size”
This channel is SO underrated. So happy that I discovered you guys, honestly my biggest win this week
THANK YOU!
“There once was a boy named Eustice Clarence Scrub, and he almost deserved it” Voyage of the Dawn Treader - God tier opening
We cover this in part 2 I believe - so good lol
I think this would’ve been more enjoyable if you’d rated lines without identifying which books they were from, but obviously that’s harder to setup
Yeah especially since for some books they seem to know they have to read beyond the actual first line for it to be impactful but for some others they just stop at the first line.
I wish I had read your comment before I commented the exact same thing
Just wanted to say it’s amazing to see how far you guys have grown, you deserve much more recognition.
Thank you!!
One of my favorite first lines I've read recently was from The Wickwire Watch by Jacquelyn Hagen: "Had Mr. Bash known this was the night he was going to die, he would have stayed at home."
Niiiice. Is this a fantasy book too?
@@2ToRamble it is. It's one of the finalists in this year's SPFBO.
I am going to have to find this book and read it! Never even heard of it.
@@ShyFly1000 it's a self published book so it's not super well known. I saw some other booktubers talking about it and an interview with the author, that's how I found out about it.
One of the best opening lines of a book has to be red rising “I would have lived in peace, but my enemies brought me war”
Oh yes - definitely covering this when we do a sci-fi first lines pod
From what I understand, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a romantasy.
My favorite opening line: Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, wore white on the day he was to kill a king.
Sanderson will ultimately have way more words published, but I think King busts out a lot of books so many that he uses extra pseudonyms to publish
Ever since I’ve started watching you guys my tbr has gotten so long I’m lost now😂
😭😂😂
I love the "first line" podcasts, always so interesting. keep it up guys
Cheers! Thankya!
Saw you guys on TikTok then found the RUclips channel, now I’ve got my own bookshelf and started the way of kings and then red rising and jade city never knew how immersive books could be. Leveled up my dnd interactions and you guys just changed my life. Love you guys
What the hell is this kindness - thanks a bunch, that makes this all the more worth it! Cheers and welcome to fantasy!!
Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, wore white on the day he was to kill a king.
Best opener ever
@@LuzzyStef Agreed, I was shocked to see Way of Kings was left out
Lads, this was hell of an episode! Thoroughly enjoyed this one! Keep it up! Supporting you from across the pond in Wales 🏴
Cheers Lewis! Thank you!
A few things on the Song of Ice and Fire opener that I think work in its favour: For one, the use of alliteration and sound structure. You get the two round vowels in "morning" and "dawn" followed immediately by the consonance of "cold, clear, crisp", then the repetition of the i vowel from "crisp" to "hint", and ending with "summer", a word that sounds nothing like anything else in the sentence, rhotic and emphatically disyllabic. It's a very carefully constructed sentence that does a lot with subtly and shows a strong understanding of language. I also really like how it begins with a beginning - the morning dawns - and ends with an ending - the summer ends - all while being very concise and not miring itself in proper nouns like a lot of fantasy tends to, especially ones with as big a world as Martin's.
Well said!
I would love a Harry Potter discussion from you two! :)
I'm a fan of the simple start
_"Damn me, damn them, damn it all."_
Love it
What book is this from ?
@@darthbane97 this from a web serial actually. Pact by J.C. Mcrae/Wildbow
An urban fantasy. Grandma dies and (unbeknownst to them) one of her grandchildren inherits all her responsibilities, debts and enemies of a diabolist. THE most hated type of practitioner (wizard) so... The enemies are pretty much everyone
If you google Pact Wildbow you can just start reading it. It's a wild ride and it honestly has my favorite magic system. Being incredibly broad and all encompasing while also being surprisingly intuitive
Guys, your podcast is so great! Keep up good work!!
Thankyou!!
My adult realisation that I can do whatever I want and have complete freedom and freedom of action was that I could, if I wanted to, commit any crime just for no reason.
But the birthday cake one is good too.
😂😂
To Kill a Kingdom: "I have a heart for every year I've been alive."
Ooo i like that
Great videos dudes - Keep it up -- Love the intro music haha
Haha cheers! Thankyou!
First episode I've watched, and first time hearing of this podcast, really great listen , didn't find myself getting distracted often
Ahh thankya, cheers!
The Hobbit opener is genuinely THE most iconic opening sentence in fiction.
Should have done it blind, without saying the title of the book, and then revealing the book after the ranking
Ahh good idea here, that would’ve been cool
'The shadows screamed in agony as the sky bled with light.' Intro I came up with in the 5 seconds you gave Richard.
Damn!
The genius behind the Malazan opening lines is that its symbolic of the state of the Malazan empire itself. A little context really changes those lines!
I was shocked when you guys said you hadn't read a Malazan book yet. To me Deadhouse gates and the chain of dogs sub plot is my favorite story ever told. Truly the most emotionally impactful piece of literature I've ever read. It's even more of a cry than hearing Major Dick Winters read the letter from one of his men at the end of the band of brothers.
Prolouge opening line. "He came shambling into Judgement's Round from the Avenue of Souls, a misshapen mass of flies."
One of the best and as a bonus written by and for adults to be fair it's coming from guys that think Wheel Of Time is the height of good writing.
Deadhouse Gates is devastating. I've never been so shocked reading/watching something in my whole life.
This was such a fun one!
Thankya!!
Another week waiting for Lightbringer review has me dying
Reading as we speak 😁
Yay!!!
Dying here too with you
“The building was on fire, and it wasn’t my fault.”
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files book 6)
" My mother has been rotting for the past six days in the only luxury of our house, the bloody bathtub." This is the opening to my i future work in progress.
"A voice in his head still told him that he'd die tonight." -the opening line to the book im currently writing 😅
Beagle's Last Unicorn is a good book. More for adults, with deep ingrained wisdom, than for younger audience. People would know the author because he was connected with Bakshi in the Lord of the Rings 1978 animation movie and I have read Peter S. Beagle on various books on Tolkien scholarly works writing in introduction at editorial boards. If butterfly effect is a real thing, then of course there is a little connection between Beagle and Japan's Studio Ghibli.
I'm keeping a document this year with the first line of every book I've read. It's really interesting to go back with the full knowledge of the book. I really like the ones that seem really ambiguous and then when you have the full context of the book they make complete sense. For example, "This house eats and is eaten," from She Is A Haunting.
Nice list and fun discussion. I would probably bump The Blade Itself towards top of A-tier and Gardens of the Moon to S-tier.
Glad to read you're covering Red Sister as well, such a great series (by far my favourite Lawrence) and really good on audio
You think GOTM is S-tier? Almost everyone I know agrees that it's by far the worst book of the 10 kind of like the first Dark Tower novel it was written when he was young and he learned to write better as he went along I do like it though.
AWESOME EPISODE, GUYS! I would very much like a part two!
Thankyou!! Part 2 coming next week 👨🍳
Gah. Its like Robert Jordan knew how big the story would be when he wrote that first line. I imagine it was written long after the original drafts. It would be a disservice to any one character to have made that first sentence through the perspective of one specifically but it perfectly sets up the idea that this story is going to span ages.
very excited to hear that y'all will (eventually) be getting to Malazan
Going to be a journey 👊
Just some first lines from German fantasy books you probably haven't heard about to repay your wonderful curation of English ones:
(My own rough translations)
-'The 13 1/2 lifes of Captain Bluebear' by Walter Moers: "A bluebear has twentyseven lifes. Thirteen and a half of them I will reveal in this book, about the others I will remain silent. A bear must have his dark sides, that makes him attracrive and mysterious." (First parahraph of the preface) & "A life usually starts with the birth - mine doesn't."(First Chapter)
-"Reckless"- book 1by Cornelia Funke:"In the flat, the night breathed like a dark animal."
I don't have anymore at hand right now, so take the Prologue of an English book that convinced me to buy it:
'The Book that wouldn't burn' by Mark Lawrence: "The first arrow hit a child. That was the opening line."
Oh nice - these are great thanks for sharing them!
love these videos. you should do with sci fi and classic books that you have not read
Absolutely- sci-fi will likely be next!
I haven’t had a dry turkey in a few years since I started this method and now my family demands I do it every thanksgiving. Quarter the turkey and dry brine it. Separate the thighs and breasts because they cook at different times, that’s why the white meat is always dry, you’re still trying to get the dark meat up to temp and overcooking the white meat because you can’t take them out separately, so quarter it so you can take them each out when they’re done. Dry brine it for a day or two before cooking, so just a salt heavy spice rub. That keeps the moisture in, like when you salt a steak, and adds flavors from the spices
I think the Gunslinger has the best opening line I’ve ever read. It raises so many questions and creates immediate suspense and intrigue, while also being succinct.
Ironically, I think it’s one of the worst books in the Dark Tower series, but judging just on the opener, it’s perfect.
It's pretty bad but books 2,3,4 and even 5 are all great and Wizard And Glass is as good as anything King has ever written which is saying a lot.
This was an interesting conversation & selection of lines. I agree that a good first line establishes tone & prompts questions. I do think the rankings are hard to divorce from knowledge of the rest of the book.
Very true!
Life of Pi by Yann Martel has one of the best first lines in my opinion. It stopped in my track, like woah.
"My suffering left me sad and gloomy."
Wholesome choice for intro
I can't wait for you guys to start reading Malazan! 😁
"A silhouette disturbed the night. An empty void where the rain was meant to be. These figures were nearly impossible to see. Unless of course, you were one of them."
The first few lines of a book I'm currently working on. Haven't named it yet, though.
Fantastic!
Ooooh the first line if that susanna clarke novel made me so excited to read more of her work. Im reading Piranesi RIGHT NOW.
Its an amazing book!! Hope you love it
Meeting you guys for the first time and this was an enjoyable time.
Nice to meet ya, welcome aboard 🤓
Funny how i was literally thinking of my favourite first line just the other day, and of course it's "Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, wore white on the day he was to kill a king." It's just so good, it creates so many questions, it lets you know exactly what kind of fantasy you're getting into, it's punchy and short and epic and i doubt any first line will ever come close for me. Maybe Wheel of Time, but that's less question and more reflection.
you guys are great ❤️
Thank you 🥲
"The only thing i remembered was that i had seen extraordinary sights on the morning of the day i died." -The Dark Beyond the Stars, Franklin M Robinson
Richard understands the art of the first sentence. The one he made up had that thing that I know when I see hit can’t explain, and if I tried to explain, it’s basically: “some sort of ironic reaction by the protagonist to what’s in front of them that would usually surprise a normal person but to this person it’s business as usual.” And it never fails every great first sentence, especially Terry Pratchetty stuff, has that.
You explained this well - totally get what you mean!
@@2ToRamble haha righteous, thanks!
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of the best books I've ever read, it's unbelievably well crafted, far beyond Piranesi (which I did enjoy). The miniseries the BBC made was a great adaptation too.
after a couple of minutes I came up with this: “With earrings cascading down his pointed, elven ears, Randy Pajama, a mage much more serious than his name, readied to commence the duel.” what do you guys think?
So cool - especially for a couple minutes worth of time! Tone is very clear - a bit of whimsy fun. Also the name Randy Pajama is top tier
Honestly, I have read some of the books here but some of the ones I have not yet read, I think I might read thanks to these first lines! Great video thank you!
No problem - thanks for watching!
Love the bookshelf
Thank you!
Wish you guys had included the cruel prince, would have loved to see your reaction on it
I love game of thrones but the opening line of the first book for me would be a C or D, I do hate opening lines about weather.
Fair - weather openers can come off as cliche, but the GOT one did land for us. Though many weather openers we’re with ya
We’re the hell is my red rising???
We consider that sci-fi, it will DEFINITELY be on the sci-fi opening lines video (austin here, dont worry Ill force Richard to suffer through)
I agree that it’s totally sci fi
48:46 The Fellowship of the Ring
Ahh! Thank you, I missed that when putting in the video chapters, thanks very much
"Turkey is always dry and not that great". Tell me you can't cook without telling me.
Im looking forward to when Richard sees this comment 😂
“Kell wore a peculiar coat.” Darker Shade of Magic, V.E. Schwab
Nice selection of first lines, lots of the same ones I would have instinctively looked at.
The opening lines of malazan are also a metaphor for something in the story apart from being literal as well.
Oo that’s awesome
The opening line to The Dark Tower is even better if you've read the whole series.
Gosh can't believe you didn't include The Name of the Wind, I love the opener to that book.
That’s in part 2! Coming next Monday 🤠
Can't wait 🔥@@2ToRamble
HEY!!!!! I better see Another Kingdoms opening line on the tier list next week!!!!
👀👀
I love love love that the dark tower is S tower. I love that opening line. I do want to suggest that if you ever do this again you don’t say which book it is before reading the opening line. I sense some prejudice when you already know the book. Also have you ever noticed that Harry Potter opens very similarly to Roald Dahl books?
We can try this next time - though it might be difficult because I had to select the books to present in the episodes and read them off in order - maybe there’s a way to randomize it/etc!
So Malazan after WoT? I am so hyped..you guys are going to love it
Of course 🫡
You're supposed to brine poultry before you bake it to make it able to retain more of its juices lol, that's the main reason why your turkey is dry and not good. Definitely still make a gravy out of what drips out but a good brine will change the game forever.
Great hook fellas. I'm in
🤝
“The story so far:
In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.”
― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Don't know if this counts but it is my favorite opening line of all time :)
16:47 romance authors are notoriously great at filling holes.
(i'm sorry)
The wheel of time is cool, but it's technically not the first line, that was like 4 first lines.
We cheated a little.
I’ve never watched this show before, but you can bet I sang along with that intro.
😂😂 hell yea
Not exactly fantasy, but I'd love to see you guys talk about the opening of Percy Jackson "The Lighting Thief"
Love that line! One of my favorite book series growing up - the Heroes of Olympus series was a level up as well
I'm sure you also thought to yourself, "Who the F*** is Jason?" When starting The Lost Hero@@2ToRamble
@@2ToRamble So Excited for the Disney+ show!!
Super curious to see how it turns out!@@emersonwright5390