I never understood why a lot of people don't like Gardens of the Moon tbh. I loved everything about the first book and it only got better and better. Never felt as if i had to push through though. Malice was amazing...getting to know the characters and caring about them before all the action starts, is what makes it such a fantastic series.
I agree about Gardens of the Moon. There was just something about it that captivated me from the first sentence. When I was done with it I immediately started Deadhouse Gates.
I was very surprised when I DNF’d Malice. It comes so highly recommended. The Brothers Gwynne are one of my favourite BookTube channels. It just didn’t hook me, though. Happy to say, you’ve inspired me to give it another go.
Ah that's too bad! But yeah, if you want to try it again, try to read it up to Valor. If the second book doesn't capture your interest, feel free to drop the series! :)
These are great examples, Petrik. Though I love the first book in Malazan, Faithful and the Fallen, and LPQ, I have definitely heard from plenty of people who struggled with the first books in those series, which are each amazing in their own ways. Thank you for the video!
Thank you, Philip! I definitely liked Gardens of the Moon and Malice. I did struggle a bit with A Shadow in Summer, though. But more importantly, all of these series are pretty damn awesome in their own way! :D
I read the first two books in Will Wight's Cradle series years ago and was underwhelmed. On your advice I read Blackflame and I'm very grateful, everything you said was spot on, now I'm eager to finish the series, many thanks
Woohoo! Gratitude. Happy to hear that. The rest of the series should be a hit for you. Also, tomorrow, ALL of Will Wight's book will be free on Amazon. Make sure to get them if you haven't! :)
Currently reading Malice. About halfway through. There is definitely a lot of info and characters in the first 100 pages or so but i'm really into it now. Loving it.
I love a slow beginning, some slice of life and some setting up. Without it, how would we have grown to love and care about characters so much?! Also Malice had to be slow to let Storm grow (nice little rhyme there) - she wouldn’t have been as scary if she was just a cub😂 Great video! Ed
Thank you, Ed! Hahaha, me too. I love a slower beginning. Many people complained about the first half of Malice and The Dragonbone Chair, and I enjoyed the heck out of these two. xD
Thanks for this useful and encouraging video! I am always impressed by booktube and how it's full of super-readers talking in terms of how many volumes (rather than chapters) they will read through before deciding a series is not for them! I think that for slower readers like myself, I'd also really like advice like: "This book is pretty slow to start, but once you get to the midpoint, it gets amazing!" or "You might hate this protagonist but once they reach this place, or once this happens to them, everything changes and you will love them". This kind of advice from people who have made it through a lot of books would be really appreciated by me (especially for top books that also have lots of people dnf-ing because of they are slow/rough starters).
Thank you so much! Don't get me wrong. I've had plenty of books where I was so bored I can't finish them, too. But for these one, I think they're worth plodding along the first book even if you don't feel intrigued by the series yet. :)
The easiest way to put me off of reading a series is to say "you just have to get through the first book!" With all the great books out there I've never felt the time commitment is worth it, and I feel even more strongly about this now that I have a baby and really only have time to read 1-3 novels a month. I am impressed by people who can slog through those super long and initially slow fantasy series though, that's dedication!
Nothing wrong with that! As I said, we all have different priorities, patience, and experience in every book and series! At the end of the day, always read which one you enjoy most! :D
Same with me. TIme has become a major issue the older I've become. If a book can't hook me within a hundred pages, I usually put it down and move on to the next one in my massive TBR pile.
Same! I have various hobbies, a full time job, and a side hustle. I barely read 3 books a month, time is so precious to me. It shocks me when people recommend The Wheel of Time series, as an example, and are like “you just gotta push through the slog, 3-4 books” like!?!? are y’all insane!?
@@sharolynwellsNothing wrong with that. As Petrik has said, not every book is for everyone. I love ASOIAF but after reading The first First Law book by Abercrombie I had no desire to continue on even though it's so highly rated on book tube.
Oh really!? I think this is the first time I heard someone enjoyed the first three books of Riyria more than the second half! Well, just goes to show again that we all have different experience and preference! 😁
I am reading "The Faithful and the Fallen" because of this. And i dont find it slow, its so good journeying with the characters! Worth pushing through!
I will never forget the arrow scene at the end of Deadhouse Gates. I remember seeing it in slow motion. It's when I knew this series is something special. Then Memories of Ice followed and I knew MBOTF would become my favorite series of all time if the rest keeps being as good. Which it mostly did.
I know which scene you're talking about in Deadhouse Gates. It really felt like cinema in my mind. So vivid! Memories of Ice was indeed the book that made me think "wow, I'm truly in the presence of something special!"
100000% for the faithful and fallen, BY FAR the last two books were my favorite books of 2022 from over 100+ books Ive read. TRUST people, you will not regret! great vid Petrik, some series Ive been avoiding because of this issue and I could easily be missing out on some future faves!
On my second read of the Malazan series now. My first time through I seem to remember putting down the first book after about 100 pages. Picked it up again and just "went with the flow". About half way through that first book I was hooked. The characters, the world, the stories, the pathos. The series is my #1 of all time. Reading it again just adds to the experience. Knowing where people and events are heading hasn't detracted at all. Rather I am seeing so many things now that I missed on my first read. Added to that is richness of now seeing where events of seemingly little or confusing significance on the first read will end up. Highly recommend multiple reads.
Went with the flow is really the way to tackle this. I totally understand that. I was amazed by how much I missed when I did the second read. I need to continue with my reread. I stopped after Memories of Ice, and I expect the rest will improve on reread, too. Amazing series, really.
Gotta just stop and let the world and characters rush by. I feel that 100%, that's what I've found to be the most enjoyable way to experience Malazan - to let go of the usual need for understanding and control
The way I recommend or tackle long fantasy series (let's say 7-15 installments) is the "3 Ep. Rule" from watching anime. So, if by the 3rd book you are not invested in the story, you can drop it. I actually started reading The Wheel of Time, and I only became truly invested in the story by the 3rd book. Same thing occurred when I started reading The Dresden Files.
Yes! That is a very solid rule, imo. Once a series reached 5 installments, I like to give them three books before completely abandoning them. Although, I will say, if the first two books were really bad for me already, I will most likely stop after the second book. But yes, three books rule works nicely for long fantasy series! :)
I'm really wanting to start the Cradle series but I'm waiting to see what the overall reception for Wayboud is before I jump in. Great video as always and thanks for helping me expand my already endless TBR
I've only read - and LOVED - The Faithful and The Fallen & The Bound and The Broken. The rest is on my TBR and I'm determined to dive into all of them sooner or later ... I may start Malazan later this year 🤓 It's definitely daunting, but also beloved by so many, so I wanna see for myself ... also, The Broken Binding is doing special editions for this series next year, and I need to read at least some if it before doling out that kind of money 🙊 (I'm trying to be somewhat responsible 😂) And I couldn't agree more: as a very character-driven reader myself I really do appreciate it when authors take the time to build up the characters, so I can actually care about what's happening to them. I'm a few chapters into my reread of The Dragonbone Chair and really enjoying the way Simon and the others are introduced 😊
I seriously cannot wait for the special edition of Malazan next year. I hope I'm able to acquire them! And yes please give the series a try. Who knows, it might just become one of your favorite series, too! I'm still in the middle of reading The Dragonbone Chair, but I loved every page I read so far. It's so good! :D
@@PetrikLeo I'm also very excited and haven't even read the series yet, haha. But your recommendations haven't steered me wrong yet, so I'm quite confident I will like it 😃 Aaaah, I'm so glad you're enjoying it!! 🙌 Can't wait to see/read your review once you're done!
This is actually very true. I read The Fall which was fantastic, then read book 1 which was ok as classic fantasy, and then heard that books 2+3 are on a completely different level, thanks Petrik!
In my case, I absolutely loved Theft of Swords at first read! I enjoyed it so much I immediately bought the rest of the series, The Riyria Chronicles, and the first 3 books of TLotFE all in one go 🤣 I am currently halfway through Rise of Empire and I agree it only gets better!
Love this, very helpful! If I really hate book 1 in a series, I’ll of course DNF. But there’s been so many times where I’m neutral or just not fully sold by book 1 and then have been SO glad I pushed through to book 2. Just happened this week actually, with the Swords and Fire trilogy which I now think will be a new favorite series. Second books can really make such a difference sometimes!
I think people will know in the first 200 pages of Memories of Ice if the series really is for them. It begins so strong and really is a showcase of what the series has in store. Great list.
This is really useful, Petrik. Making a DNF call on a popular series is difficult so this kind of input is helpful. My answer to problematic first books is always Dune. I LOVE Dune but I think it’s almost impossible to understand all that is going on without having read the next two books. For me, like LOTR, those three books are all one story.
Herbert always planned Dune to be a trilogy as much because of the message at its heart and the period it had to take over. LOTR is a very different story and more linear than dune. Aside the opening parts in the shire the rest of the story covers months not decades.
@@stevenredpath9332 I think of them in terms of story arc, as opposed to time covered. They are obviously extremely different. The only way I find correlation is that both are trilogies that read as a single primary arc. In modern trilogies, even when there are cliff hangers, the nature/core of the overall arc is revealed in the first book even though much of the detail is not available to the reader until later books. In both Dune and LOTR the ability of the reader to see the primary arc basically requires having read all three books. Most readers get to the end of Dune with very little idea of where Herbert is really going. The same is true of LOTR. My feeling is that in neither case does reading the first book stand alone as an true indicator of the theme. All three books are necessary.
@@arlissbunny I was going in how in the LOTR each book flows and starts from where the last one finishes while Dune doesn’t but totally agree that reading the first book doesn’t give you the direction of the whole story. The splitting of the party at the end of the fellowship is a major event as traumatic as the fall of Gandalf. Just reading Dune certainly wouldn’t tell you how Paul story arc ends. Both Dune and Foundation were inspired by the same book: The rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
@@stevenredpath9332 Yes, you are right about Rise & Fall. That was almost enough to make me want to read it way back when. LOTR was, of course, inspired by Tolkien’s time in the trenches during WWII. I recently reread Foundation. While I have read Dune & LOTR many times I had not touched Foundation since the 70’s when I read if the first time. Foundation has held up pretty well (I never loved it and still don’t). Foundation is an important series/work but it never spoke to me like Dune. To this day, with all the thousands of books I have read, Dune & LOTR remain in my all time top 10.
Great video, Petrik! I'm planning to read LPQ this year and will take your advice to heart. I tell people that if they enjoyed Gardens of the Moon or Deadhouse Gates-maybe one and not the other-keep going until the end of Memories of Ice. If they disliked both GotM and DG, I don't think Memories of Ice will sway them, and there are plenty of other fantasy series worth considering! 😊
Thank you so much, Johanna! Long Price Quartet is so worth the perseverance, imo. Many beautiful passages and relatable themes inside the series. I think that's a great recommendation for those who start reading Malazan Book of the Fallen for the first time. If they disliked both GotM and DG already, it's true that it is doubtful Memories of Ice will win the series for them!
I thought Malice was good, but I thought Valour was GREAT! That's when it started to cement my love for The Faithful and the Fallen. Finished Wrath last month, and felt very satisfied with the ending. A great series. Thanks for the video, Petrik!
Thank you so much, James! That's more or less my thought, too. I loved Malice already, and then the rest of the series made me fall in love further! :)
Another great video topic! I actually was hooked into Cradle from book 2... Unsouled was just okay, relatively slow, and then it picked up a bit towards the end, but once we got to Soulsmith l was addicted 😂. I'd like to try Malazan one day, normally l quite like having to figure things out myself rather than having them all explained, and it doesn't bother me to not understand things, so maybe it will be ok...
Thank you so much! It's good that you were hooked on Cradle since Soulsmith. I hope you'll love Malazan when you get around to it. It's such a rewarding series! :)
Wow - we are having such a different Malazan experience. I LOVED Deadhouse Gates and have mostly not enjoyed Memories of Ice. (I'm about 60% into it). I hope the end changes my mind! Thanks for the video!
I still loved Deadhouse Gates, just not as much as most readers! And too bad about Memories of Ice. If you end up absolutely loving House of Chains, too, then yeah we will have a vastly different experience. xD
Interestingly enough, I actually found the start of Cradle to be weirdly cosy and gripping. And same for Riyria, Bound and the Broken and FatF, I was just vibing with those stories from page one. Also, I have heard such amazing things about Memories of Ice, so I will definitely stick with it until I get to that point whenever I pick up Malazan! I personally think A Chorus of Dragons, Threadlight, The Locked Tomb, The Dandelion Dynasty and The War for the Rose Throne only show their full greatness from book 2 onwards. Great video Petrik!!
Thank you very much, Esmay! Although I can't agree with you on The Locked Tomb because I found Harrow the Ninth to be unnecessarily complicated, I agree that The Dandelion Dynasty and War for the Rose Throne will belong nicely on this list, even though I loved their first book! :D
@@PetrikLeo Hahah Harrow is something else for sure, but I was along for the wild ride. And I agree that Dandelion and War for the Rose Throne have amazing first books, but I know that some readers need some more convincing lol
I actually read Gardens of the Moon and stopped halfway. 2 years later reread it and finished pushed through to Deadhouse Gates half way then life got in the way. It's a commitment for sure. Loved it the seccond time around just wish i got throigh Deadhouse. Now its like 4 years and I will have tp reread GOM and DG 😂
Hahaha! I know someonr who experienced the same thing. Constantly rereading the first three books because they got sidetracked reading other books. 😂 I hope your next attempt through Malazan will be to the end!
No spoilers and don't kill me but, this is how I felt with Way of Kings, I enjoyed the characters except Dalinar and Adolin. I was not satisfied with the book because it was drilled into my head on how good this is and some of the reasons people talked about were things I really didn't like about it. So when I read Words of Radiance all my problems kind of went away and WoR is one of my favorite books of all time. I'm on Oathebringer now and it's pretty solid but no spoilers so I'll stop it here. I like how many different series you read that I've never even heard of since getting back into reading, I'm interested to try out some of these one day. You were one of the people who really helped me get into reading after not being interested because of how much I was forced to in school.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad I can help you get back to reading. And no worries! You're not the only Adolin hater, so there's that at least hahaha. But anyway, I totally understand. Hype can be both beneficial and dangerous because it, whether we like it or not, increase our expectations. On the plus side, it makes us want to read the books. On the down side... well, sometimes they can't live up to it haha. :D
Love the video Petrik! When reading Deadhouse Gates, I think it was more of a tragic heart wrenching book than some crazy ending that people make it out to be, I too was kind of taken aback by the ending. I definitely can't wait to read memories of ice!
Thank you so much! I think it's those comments "if you don't cry you're a robot!" Or "your taste is so bad if you don't cry reading Deadhouse Gates" comments that made me slightly disappointed with it. 😅 Like I can't predict what would happen after those comments. I hope you'll love Memories of Ice!
@@PetrikLeo yeah haha, the comments can either over hype or under hype parts of books. I’ll definitely let you know how I like it. I’ll probably start MOI after finishing the 3rd book in the Licanius trilogy.
@@cmmosher8035 I felt her story added depth to the book and the overall story as a whole, but there were points in the book I wanted to take my shoe off and throw it at her, she could be really insufferable at times.
I agree with you in regards to Malazan and LPQ. From what I've heard about both series I'm not certain Bound and Broken and Cradle will be for me but I'll give them a shot someday.
I read "Gardens of the Moon" 2 years ago and understood like 50% and wasn't *that* impressed with the other 50% I (think) I understood. Nevertheless, ever since then I was torn if I should continue the series or not. After this video, I'll give book 2 and 3 a go. After all, what's the worst that could happen? 😄
Yess! If you still don't like it, then rest assured in knowing you gave the series a fair try and you won't feel like you're missing out. I'm quite sure if you don't like the third book, you won't like the rest of it. 😄
I'm about to finish Soulsmith (Cradle #2) and was considering stopping - but I'll take your advice and try book 3! Also, I loved Of Blood and Fire - now I'm even more excited to read Of Darkness and Light!
Definitely go on with Cradle!! If you don’t see promise after book 3 then drop it, cause thats where the books really pick up imo. Keeps getting better with each book tho imo. Have fun!!
Yeah! Try Blackflame first. If it doesn't capture your attention, drop it. You will LOVE Of Darkness and Light if you liked Of Blood and Fire already! 😊
I bounced off Cradle after book 1 a few years ago but I want to give it another chance. As a Malazan reader, I know full well that sometimes you need to get past book 1 to fall in love with a series. Of Blood and Fire is a really comfy first book that i quite enjoyed so I can’t wait to see when the series “gets good”
Man if I start reading book 1 and I can't get into it I'm not that type of reader where I can just continue on because I think it may get better in book 2 or 3 I wish I could do that but if I get bored with book 1 and I'm halfway through and I ain't feeling it the whole series just got DNR everybody is different though it's like when it comes to malice I did not think malice was slow I like most of that book so like I said and like you know everyone's different glad to find somebody else's putting some respect on Daniel Abraham's name he's not only a Sci-Fi writer he writes fantasy also anyway man keep up the great work to the best booktuber on RUclips
Thank you so much! Nothing wrong with DNFing a series on the first book if you're not feeling like it. As I said, this is just a motivational video if the rest of a specific series interests you. :D
I read the first book of The Dagger and The Coin a few years ago but I haven't continued the series. It took me a month to read the first book and I've been putting off reading the second one. I plan on picking it up at some point because alot of people say its better than the first book.
Yeahh, that first book was tough. I totally understand that. Try to read The King's Blood if you can, I think it's much much better compared to Dragon's Path! :)
I just finished Wheel of time last week, I don’t think I’m ready for another epic fantasy just yet lol I’m taking a break from fantasy and catching up on my SiFi tbr list. The Malice book definitely has me intrigued tho
For me, it's The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone by Greg Keyes. The first book started super slow, but after about two thirds of the way, it kicks into high gear and never lets up until the end of book 4.
@@PetrikLeo The series isn't among the best out there, but it's very under recognized. I don't think I've seen a single booktuber that I follow talk about it.
Cool video. I actually like a Shadow in Summer more than A Betrayal in Winter. A Shadow in Summer felt so much more unique and I really loved the character dynamics. A Betrayal in Winter is very Macbeth, which is fine. I liked it, but the story wasn't as captivating for me because it reminded me so much of a Shakespearean tragedy. I'm reading the third book this month, hopefully.
Thank you so much! I personally think An Autumn War is the best of the series. I hope it will be the same for you. Price of Spring did deliver a very satisfying conclusion, though!
I honestly think Nolyn is a MUST not read book unless you've read at least Legends of the First Empire. Authors who keep saying their books work well as a standalone even though it's book number 17 in his series are damaging their books. I get it, they're trying to sell their new books, but this is not the way, imo.
@@PetrikLeo Alright, thanks for reassuring me. Nolyn is perhaps the worst Fantasy book I've ever read. It's just characters spending hundred of pages in taverns discussing battles that happened centuries ago. It doesn't get more boring than that.
I actually loved Malice. I think the slow pace made me care more about the characters. I felt like i knew them so well from just book 1. Althoigh I enjoyed Shadow of the Gods and Time of Dred, I didn't feel the same strong emotions as i did for Corban and crew. Only about halfway through a Time of Blood am I getting the emotions for the characters, and now that i love these characters i am sad that there is only one book left with them. Would have preferred spending more time with Drem, Riv, Bleda in a Time of Dred and with Orka, Varg, Elvar from shadow of the Gods. But still these are nit picks. Gwynne is definately one of my fav authors and will remain one if he continues to write these great books.
YESSSS. AGREE with everything you said. The Faithful and the Fallen is special precisely because of the affection we have for the characters. From book 1! 😊
Great video and awesome series that you mentioned. I have only read two out of the seven but I also agree in your assessment. I feel the same exact way with Stephen King books. He is my favorite author but even after reading 35 plus books. There might be only one that started from the beginning Great. The rest just end up being real good or finish amazing.
Got to have The Dresden Files on any list like this. Even though Dresden is my Favorite and imo the Best Urban Fantasy Series I know it’s not perfect and the first 2 books, Storm Front and Fool Moon respectively, are objectively not that great. Readable and definitely better than 95% of other books out there but certainly not as good as everything that comes after starting with book 3 Grave Peril. That first scene of Grave Peril never fails to change the opinions of someone who isn’t sure whether or not they want to continue…
Oh of course! Dresden Files will be on the second part of this video. God, Fool Moon was really bad, imo. But yeah book 4 was where I felt like the story is finally going somewhere. 😅
Of all the ones ive read here, I totally agree with your analysis. I think so many people DNF on soulsmith especially and im like please try one more 🤣 I also found Theft of Swords pretty average but have faith that when I continue, I will enjoy the sequels.
For the two series mentioned in the video I have read (TFatF and Ryria), I liked the first books much more than the rest. Theft of Swords I quite liked, but, with every following volume, I was less and less enamoured. Malice I didn't much like already, but I absolutely despised the rest of the series. It seems Petrik and I have very different tastes!
I had this problem with the first book of Kushiel’s Legacy, as in my country they divided the first book in half 🤦♀️ So it actually stopped just as things started to get really interesting 🙄 But after that it just kept getting better and better! I love books told from the older characters POV! The little hints of what is to come just make my day 😁 This series read like that. Do you have any recommendations of other books that have this sort of POV?
I haven't started reading the series yet. I hope I can get to Kushiel's Legacy next year! I agree with you, though. I love books told from the perspective of older characters reflecting on their past. Thanks for letting me know about it. Let's see whether I can make a recommendation video on it! :D
I found a collection of the Faithful/fallen cheap online so I will eventually book two but my issue with malice wasnt that it was slow but that every pov character felt interchangable. I had trouble caring enough to keep the plot threads straight. On the otherhand, I thought Theft of Swords was fun because it was a straight forward buddy action story and it didnt try to overly complex. Also, I am currently reading Blood and Fire and it does right by focusing on one character which is where I think Gwynne went wrong with Malice. That being said Shadow of the gods did well with delivering 3 distinct pov characters. Still not my favourite book but I am a sucker a family trying to reunite type story.
The multiple POV characters in Malice did take me some time to get used to on my first read. Here's hoping Valor will be a better experience for you. At least The Shadow of the Gods delivered! :D
Gardens of The Moon seemed to be the epitome of epic fantasy for me... I was in a daze for several days afterwards. HOWEVER, I'm in near last 3rd of Deadhouse Gates and, quite frankly, not at all enjoying. Yes, it seemed promising in the first few chapters but as the book droned it, it was endless pages and pages of wars, slaughters, battles and was so gritty and dry that I've grown weary of it. I'm considering DNF'ing Deadhouse Gates and directly move to Memories Of Ice as it follows the event occuring in Gardens Of The Moon .... what do you recommend?
DG has some tragic epic scenes at the end. I also did not like Chain of Dogs but the end made it worth reading, imho. It's when I knew I'm all in on the series.
I have only read up to the end of Deadhouse Gates but something that's pretty major happens at the end. That being said Memories of Ice runs parallel to Deadhouse so if you enjoy MoI maybe go back and finish Deadhouse because i believe book picks up threads from both books 2 and 3.
I think you can actually read many parts of Memories of Ice without finishing Deadhouse Gates. That said, the epilogue of Memories of Ice won't have that immense impact if you haven't read Deadhouse Gates to the end. :)
Every book u mentioned is epic except cradle which gives vibes of mixture of wuxia&western fantasy. Cuzz I am already into wuxia and xinxia which makes these series look very slow paced and I finished 5 volumes of this series , As for fans of this series I recommend to check a Chinese novel "A will eternal" who re comitted.
Cradle did get pretty epic eventually! But yeah it started uninteresting to me. I understand though that the pacing in Cradle is faster than the other series mentioned here.
Personally, I loved every book in Green Bone Saga. But Jade City was the weakest of the three, for sure. Jade War is certainly a huge step up for me! :)
Hi Petrik. I DNF'd Evan Winters' series to it not being a good fit for my reading taste. On the bubble is Malazan, and Dagger & the Coin, mostly because I enjoy other books besides fantasy and I'm not sure I want to commit to so much fantasy. I still have more volumes by Joe Abercrombie, Robin Hobb and Josiah Bancroft to read. There's a universe of good books to catch up with if I live long enough. lol
Dang. Malice seems good...but it takes a LOT for me to brake out of my stand alone adiction. Ive only made an exeption for: Stormlight Harry potter Fullmetal alquemist Vampire hunter d Rurouni kenshin Slayers Cardcaptor sakura ( thogh ccs is my guilty plesure, story is meh, but i love it)
However I do actually think that GOTM is a good book. It's a little difficult to understand at first because there's so much going on but it IS fun, and it is representative of what is to come in the next Malazan books, it's just that we as readers get used to the style and we begin understanding a lot better the world and the relationships between the actors.
Agreed. There were many scenes purposely written to not be comprehensible yet for first time readers to the series. I realized how much I missed during my second read of Gardens of the Moon after I finished the series. It felt like an entirely new book! :D
Ooof. If The Fall is better quality of writing then I'm running from this series. Been on the fence for a while on this series, but the writing was so terrible in the Fall that if of Blood and Fire is worse?? Thank you for the warning!
I personally think it's much better than OBAF. The writing in OBAF is definitely inferior compared to it. That said, Of Darkness and Light is an upgrade over both of them. Something to consider! But no need to force it if you don't feel like it at all. 😄
@@PetrikLeo I stronly disagree. The writing in the Fall is really weak. I surmise Ryan Cahill didn't get an editor or a good one to go over it. His prose is really clunky. I definitely saw an improvement with his first novel which I attributed to the editor, but maybe I am wrong.
@@alexvaldiers9788 it's actually the other way around. He got a professional editor (who worked on many amazing novels) for The Fall. The Fall is written after Of Blood and Fire, too. At the end of the day, when a writing cannot immerse you, it's as simple as the book isn't for you. Remember that people say Tolkien, Erikson, Martin, or any authors, really, cannot write or have clunky prose, too. 😂😂
@@PetrikLeo Are you sure about this? I thought Ryan said in an interview that The Fall was a collection of short stories already written. Also the 'thank you' page doesn't credit any editor. Either way, the prose was clunky for the Fall but it didn't stop me from pushing on with the series.
@@alexvaldiers9788 Yup, I'm sure about this. You can see the editor's comment on Goodreads. I wish I can link the review here, but the editor's name is Sarah Chorn. Anyway, I can certainly agree that the prose was clunky in some places, but imo it is better than Of Blood and Fire. And Of Darkness and Light was vastly better than both The fall and Of Blood and Fire, imo. :)
Some people just can't bear slow pacing with excellent character development. I've known many people who even say The Way of Kings is too slow for them, and nothing happens at all.
I would say read the first three books of The Greenbone Saga, then read them again, that's about the best place to stop... for now :D I hate DNF'ing a series once I get past the first book, doesn't feel right, fortunately I've been pretty lucky with most of them and if I haven't really enjoyed it by the end I at least took something from it. I have found the opposite problem though, I start a series like A Song of Ice and Fire and I really like most of the first book and then it gets better till the quality just dies for the last two and I find myself wishing I had stopped before it's ruined (same with the show). Wheel of Time was different, it was just total crap from page one to when it died, the only thing I took from it was all the things I wouldn't do if I was writing a book or teaching a class, literally just hold the whole thing up and say "None of this!". I found the only reason I was reading that damn kindling was because I got spoiled by Google when I wanted to spell a certain terrible character's name who ruins all of everything in that fiasco and Google told me she would die so I was all in for reading how! She even managed to disappoint me in death, should have seen that coming. Threadlight could be one of those series people might want to push through, like I said before I might just be put off by the bad narration in the audiobook but I did almost stop after book one but half way through the second book I got much more into it, I'm almost done now and it still hasn't wow'd me like a Stormlight or a Mistborn but I think if it ends how I think it is, it could get a slightly rounded up 4/5. Also, the Kickstarter hit over $100k so we will get that book at its best, so thanks for the heads-up on that one!
Can't disagree with reading Green Bone Saga and over and over again! :D I have to agree with you on A Song of Ice and Fire. At least for now. I still consider it one of my favorite series based on how much I love the first three books. But the last two books were disappointing. I heard they are books that will work so much better on reread, so who knows, I might do that someday in the future! The Kickstarter for Threadlight is so awesome. It hits $100k! And now it will come up with a slipcase and even more interior illustrations. At least you had a great time with the series, the pledge will be more worth it now! :D
Malice is a book I have struggled with over and over again. I just cannot go beyond the first 3rd (story and characters wise ) of the book . I dont even know if I can get as far as book 2 ..😅
I think if you have to fight through multiple books to gain an appreciation, you mind as well read the summary and then dive in when the books "get good."...LOL...there's so many books out there. So, little time...
Hahaha, it depends on the books and series. I mean, Wheel of Time requires us to force through reading 4 big books (more than 2000 pages) to get back to the great parts! xD
Twice I started Gardens of the Moon and both times I set it aside. Several things put me off about it: I felt no connection to any of the characters; the world has "too much magic" for my taste and finally it has a bleak, joyless tone to it.
I was the opposite with the Malazan books. I loved every book until the last couple, especially the last book. Perhaps it's just me, but I felt they were too slow and philosophical for my tastes. I even tried some of his following books but felt his entire writing style had changed.
I would add The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. The first book is a pedestrian Fellowship of the Ring, and then, for the next five books, it gets good. And then it gets bad, really bad, again.
@@PetrikLeo I actually don't think I would recommend it to readers of contemporary fantasy because it has a very unlikeable main character. Not in the sense of grim dark, more like an isekai anime protagonist, you know, moanful and cynical. There is a good reason why he is like that, but reading reviews tells me that people don't like him enough to continue the series. But I do like it (sheds a single tear.)
I loved Gardens of the Moon & was disappointed with Deadhouse Gates. Probably do to hype. Memories of Ice was great even with all the hype. I heard HoC & Midnight Tides weren’t good but LOVED them more than the previous 3. I think books 3-10 are all 5/5
Yeah, Deadhouse Gates is the most hyped book of the series, imo. I didn't really enjoy House of Chains, but Midnight Tides was amazing! One of my favorites. 😊
I dnf Malice like about chapter 40. Because it was really sloggish to get through and very predictable too. I really like some characters like corban, veradis, corbans sister(dont wanna messup the name), camlin. Even in their povs it feels like author is focusing on everything other than these characters.
I did not feel that way about Malice. It's true that the pacing in the first half was slower than the rest of the series, but imo it was absolutely necessary. Without the characterizations and background first, I don't the very action-packed nature of the series would work well. The book indeed takes some time to get going and was very predictable at the beginning, though, can't deny that. :)
This my own personal experience but i dnf'd the series twice. I read up to Winter's Heart as they were being released. I tried it again during covid but i haven't felt drawn to go back after finishing book 3.
Of Blood and Fire was woeful, on prose, on plot, on characters and on straight out stealing from several other better books. I wish more creators were honest like you are that book 1 should be skipped. Any creator hyping book 1 just drops themselves into the “cannot be trusted” group for me to no longer watch. I am trying to give book 2 a try but currently am still so annoyed by how bad book 1 was that it is putting me off. I look at this debut novel getting so much hype and being disgusted as it doesn’t even come close to so many other much better debut novels such as Richard Nell and Philip Chase, or even comparing it to Eragon, all of whom wrote good debut novels. Two worst books in past year were Of Blood and Fire and Babel. Both had boring flat characters, plot holes more like craters and pacing that made watching paint dry seem exciting. So yes I agree that skipping book 1 is a very wise move.
I wouldn't say skipping book 1, I still think it's good enough. Nothing amazing, but it's alright. Book 2, though, is really where imo the series started to shine. And I hope readers will give the series up to that point before deciding to drop the series.
I wasn’t impressed by gardens at all, gave up halfway through and never understood the hype. I’ll come back eventually but right now it seems like a waste to keep reading it
No need to force it if the series isn't calling to you. And if you do continue someday, and then Deadhouse or Memories still hasn't hooked you, drop the series. 😃
@@PetrikLeo I guess I understand, it may be a little slow for people who like action right out of the gate, but it needs that slow set up to introduce us to the world and lives of our characters before things turn sour for the rest of the series😂
I tried and really disliked it, which is really disappointing because it's one of the authors I'd love to like, he lives down the road! (figuratively, it's like 20 miles). I even tried the Hunger of Gods and equally disliked it.
Personally i don't think it is a good idea to push through a series if you don't vibe with a book. That can just leave a bad impression and taint the experience. Not every book are for everyone.
Nothing wrong with that. But some of my top favorite series doesn't have the strongest first book of a series. I will regret it so badly if I had stopped only from reading the inferior first book. Obviously, some first books can be so bad that continuing the series may feel like torture instead. It all depends on each reader and their experience. :)
@@PetrikLeo Of course, it varies on the reader what you are willing to sit through. I haven't actually read a book where i hate a book or in some way didn't enjoy it.
I was sold on Malazan within the first few sentences. Truly a masterpiece of a series. It changed my life.
Yes! Such an amazing series! :)
Wow! You read all of them since this vid was posted? You're truly a superbrained human. Hats off to you, my dear.
Gonna read all ten this summer with audiobooks.
I think malice is what every first book in epic fantasy series should be
I just love getting to know the characters first, and Malice accomplished that! 😁
Not at all biased but we agree!
Ed
I never understood why a lot of people don't like Gardens of the Moon tbh. I loved everything about the first book and it only got better and better. Never felt as if i had to push through though.
Malice was amazing...getting to know the characters and caring about them before all the action starts, is what makes it such a fantastic series.
I liked Gardens of the Moon, but I can see how it's off-putting to many readers, too. I agree that Malice was amazing, though! :D
Agreed. I just started reading it and I'm like 70% through and absolutely loving it right now.
I agree about Gardens of the Moon. There was just something about it that captivated me from the first sentence. When I was done with it I immediately started Deadhouse Gates.
I was very surprised when I DNF’d Malice. It comes so highly recommended. The Brothers Gwynne are one of my favourite BookTube channels. It just didn’t hook me, though. Happy to say, you’ve inspired me to give it another go.
Ah that's too bad! But yeah, if you want to try it again, try to read it up to Valor. If the second book doesn't capture your interest, feel free to drop the series! :)
These are great examples, Petrik. Though I love the first book in Malazan, Faithful and the Fallen, and LPQ, I have definitely heard from plenty of people who struggled with the first books in those series, which are each amazing in their own ways. Thank you for the video!
Thank you, Philip! I definitely liked Gardens of the Moon and Malice. I did struggle a bit with A Shadow in Summer, though. But more importantly, all of these series are pretty damn awesome in their own way! :D
about halfway through unsouled and was getting skeptical but your recommendation has given me the drive to keep going
Good luck! Try to reach Blackflame and see how you feel about it before calling it quits. I'm not a fan of book 1 and 2, too! :)
I read the first two books in Will Wight's Cradle series years ago and was underwhelmed. On your advice I read Blackflame and I'm very grateful, everything you said was spot on, now I'm eager to finish the series, many thanks
Woohoo! Gratitude. Happy to hear that. The rest of the series should be a hit for you. Also, tomorrow, ALL of Will Wight's book will be free on Amazon. Make sure to get them if you haven't! :)
Currently reading Malice. About halfway through. There is definitely a lot of info and characters in the first 100 pages or so but i'm really into it now. Loving it.
Yeah, it can take some time to get used to the names at first, but once you're used to them, the rest should be a much smoother ride!
I love a slow beginning, some slice of life and some setting up. Without it, how would we have grown to love and care about characters so much?! Also Malice had to be slow to let Storm grow (nice little rhyme there) - she wouldn’t have been as scary if she was just a cub😂 Great video!
Ed
Thank you, Ed! Hahaha, me too. I love a slower beginning. Many people complained about the first half of Malice and The Dragonbone Chair, and I enjoyed the heck out of these two. xD
Thanks for this useful and encouraging video! I am always impressed by booktube and how it's full of super-readers talking in terms of how many volumes (rather than chapters) they will read through before deciding a series is not for them! I think that for slower readers like myself, I'd also really like advice like: "This book is pretty slow to start, but once you get to the midpoint, it gets amazing!" or "You might hate this protagonist but once they reach this place, or once this happens to them, everything changes and you will love them". This kind of advice from people who have made it through a lot of books would be really appreciated by me (especially for top books that also have lots of people dnf-ing because of they are slow/rough starters).
Thank you so much! Don't get me wrong. I've had plenty of books where I was so bored I can't finish them, too. But for these one, I think they're worth plodding along the first book even if you don't feel intrigued by the series yet. :)
Such a great video idea!!!
Thank you, Dino! 😄
The easiest way to put me off of reading a series is to say "you just have to get through the first book!" With all the great books out there I've never felt the time commitment is worth it, and I feel even more strongly about this now that I have a baby and really only have time to read 1-3 novels a month. I am impressed by people who can slog through those super long and initially slow fantasy series though, that's dedication!
Nothing wrong with that! As I said, we all have different priorities, patience, and experience in every book and series! At the end of the day, always read which one you enjoy most! :D
Same with me. TIme has become a major issue the older I've become. If a book can't hook me within a hundred pages, I usually put it down and move on to the next one in my massive TBR pile.
Same! I have various hobbies, a full time job, and a side hustle. I barely read 3 books a month, time is so precious to me. It shocks me when people recommend The Wheel of Time series, as an example, and are like “you just gotta push through the slog, 3-4 books” like!?!? are y’all insane!?
I couldn't get through the first book of George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones.
@@sharolynwellsNothing wrong with that. As Petrik has said, not every book is for everyone. I love ASOIAF but after reading The first First Law book by Abercrombie I had no desire to continue on even though it's so highly rated on book tube.
Agree with the Long Price Quartet, but The Ryria Revelations I actaually preferred the first 3 books more than the last 3
Oh really!? I think this is the first time I heard someone enjoyed the first three books of Riyria more than the second half! Well, just goes to show again that we all have different experience and preference! 😁
I am reading "The Faithful and the Fallen" because of this. And i dont find it slow, its so good journeying with the characters!
Worth pushing through!
AWESOME! That means you will love the entire series. Truth and Courage!! 😄😄
For Malice, I wasn't too impressed until about half-way in the book something happens (you know what it is) that made me buy in hard, love the series!
Heck yeah. I know which scene you're talking about. Truth and Courage! :)
I will never forget the arrow scene at the end of Deadhouse Gates. I remember seeing it in slow motion. It's when I knew this series is something special. Then Memories of Ice followed and I knew MBOTF would become my favorite series of all time if the rest keeps being as good. Which it mostly did.
I know which scene you're talking about in Deadhouse Gates. It really felt like cinema in my mind. So vivid! Memories of Ice was indeed the book that made me think "wow, I'm truly in the presence of something special!"
100000% for the faithful and fallen, BY FAR the last two books were my favorite books of 2022 from over 100+ books Ive read. TRUST people, you will not regret! great vid Petrik, some series Ive been avoiding because of this issue and I could easily be missing out on some future faves!
Thank you so much! And glad you agree, Kit! Ruin and Wrath were AMAZING! :D
I am reading Malice now. I'm about half way through it and love the book so much. Thank u so much for the recommendation.
Oh nice! If you love the book at that stage already, the rest of the series will be amazing for you. Enjoy. Truth and Courage! :)
On my second read of the Malazan series now. My first time through I seem to remember putting down the first book after about 100 pages. Picked it up again and just "went with the flow". About half way through that first book I was hooked. The characters, the world, the stories, the pathos. The series is my #1 of all time.
Reading it again just adds to the experience. Knowing where people and events are heading hasn't detracted at all. Rather I am seeing so many things now that I missed on my first read. Added to that is richness of now seeing where events of seemingly little or confusing significance on the first read will end up. Highly recommend multiple reads.
Went with the flow is really the way to tackle this. I totally understand that. I was amazed by how much I missed when I did the second read. I need to continue with my reread. I stopped after Memories of Ice, and I expect the rest will improve on reread, too. Amazing series, really.
Gotta just stop and let the world and characters rush by. I feel that 100%, that's what I've found to be the most enjoyable way to experience Malazan - to let go of the usual need for understanding and control
The way I recommend or tackle long fantasy series (let's say 7-15 installments) is the "3 Ep. Rule" from watching anime. So, if by the 3rd book you are not invested in the story, you can drop it. I actually started reading The Wheel of Time, and I only became truly invested in the story by the 3rd book. Same thing occurred when I started reading The Dresden Files.
Yes! That is a very solid rule, imo. Once a series reached 5 installments, I like to give them three books before completely abandoning them. Although, I will say, if the first two books were really bad for me already, I will most likely stop after the second book. But yes, three books rule works nicely for long fantasy series! :)
That's a good rule. Although for fantasy novels he does require a huge investment of time
I'm really wanting to start the Cradle series but I'm waiting to see what the overall reception for Wayboud is before I jump in. Great video as always and thanks for helping me expand my already endless TBR
Thank you! I will read Waybound next month. I think the reception on Waybound is very positive though!
I've only read - and LOVED - The Faithful and The Fallen & The Bound and The Broken. The rest is on my TBR and I'm determined to dive into all of them sooner or later ... I may start Malazan later this year 🤓 It's definitely daunting, but also beloved by so many, so I wanna see for myself ... also, The Broken Binding is doing special editions for this series next year, and I need to read at least some if it before doling out that kind of money 🙊 (I'm trying to be somewhat responsible 😂)
And I couldn't agree more: as a very character-driven reader myself I really do appreciate it when authors take the time to build up the characters, so I can actually care about what's happening to them. I'm a few chapters into my reread of The Dragonbone Chair and really enjoying the way Simon and the others are introduced 😊
I seriously cannot wait for the special edition of Malazan next year. I hope I'm able to acquire them! And yes please give the series a try. Who knows, it might just become one of your favorite series, too!
I'm still in the middle of reading The Dragonbone Chair, but I loved every page I read so far. It's so good! :D
@@PetrikLeo I'm also very excited and haven't even read the series yet, haha. But your recommendations haven't steered me wrong yet, so I'm quite confident I will like it 😃
Aaaah, I'm so glad you're enjoying it!! 🙌 Can't wait to see/read your review once you're done!
This is actually very true. I read The Fall which was fantastic, then read book 1 which was ok as classic fantasy, and then heard that books 2+3 are on a completely different level, thanks Petrik!
Thank you so much! Glad you agree! :D
In my case, I absolutely loved Theft of Swords at first read! I enjoyed it so much I immediately bought the rest of the series, The Riyria Chronicles, and the first 3 books of TLotFE all in one go 🤣 I am currently halfway through Rise of Empire and I agree it only gets better!
Oh nice! If you love Theft of Swords already, I have no doubt the rest will be a hit for you. Heir of Novron is amazing! 😄
Love this, very helpful! If I really hate book 1 in a series, I’ll of course DNF. But there’s been so many times where I’m neutral or just not fully sold by book 1 and then have been SO glad I pushed through to book 2. Just happened this week actually, with the Swords and Fire trilogy which I now think will be a new favorite series. Second books can really make such a difference sometimes!
Yeahh, the trick is to find the potential that the series might turn into something amazing even when we have mixed feelings on the first book! :)
I think people will know in the first 200 pages of Memories of Ice if the series really is for them. It begins so strong and really is a showcase of what the series has in store. Great list.
That's true! Doesn't even have to finish the book. Should be obvious already in the first half of Memories of Ice! 😁
This is really useful, Petrik. Making a DNF call on a popular series is difficult so this kind of input is helpful.
My answer to problematic first books is always Dune. I LOVE Dune but I think it’s almost impossible to understand all that is going on without having read the next two books. For me, like LOTR, those three books are all one story.
Thank you so much, Arliss! I really have to continue reading Dune. Maybe after the second part of the movie come out this year! 😄
Herbert always planned Dune to be a trilogy as much because of the message at its heart and the period it had to take over. LOTR is a very different story and more linear than dune. Aside the opening parts in the shire the rest of the story covers months not decades.
@@stevenredpath9332 I think of them in terms of story arc, as opposed to time covered. They are obviously extremely different. The only way I find correlation is that both are trilogies that read as a single primary arc. In modern trilogies, even when there are cliff hangers, the nature/core of the overall arc is revealed in the first book even though much of the detail is not available to the reader until later books. In both Dune and LOTR the ability of the reader to see the primary arc basically requires having read all three books. Most readers get to the end of Dune with very little idea of where Herbert is really going. The same is true of LOTR. My feeling is that in neither case does reading the first book stand alone as an true indicator of the theme. All three books are necessary.
@@arlissbunny I was going in how in the LOTR each book flows and starts from where the last one finishes while Dune doesn’t but totally agree that reading the first book doesn’t give you the direction of the whole story. The splitting of the party at the end of the fellowship is a major event as traumatic as the fall of Gandalf. Just reading Dune certainly wouldn’t tell you how Paul story arc ends.
Both Dune and Foundation were inspired by the same book: The rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
@@stevenredpath9332 Yes, you are right about Rise & Fall. That was almost enough to make me want to read it way back when. LOTR was, of course, inspired by Tolkien’s time in the trenches during WWII. I recently reread Foundation. While I have read Dune & LOTR many times I had not touched Foundation since the 70’s when I read if the first time. Foundation has held up pretty well (I never loved it and still don’t). Foundation is an important series/work but it never spoke to me like Dune. To this day, with all the thousands of books I have read, Dune & LOTR remain in my all time top 10.
Great video, Petrik! I'm planning to read LPQ this year and will take your advice to heart. I tell people that if they enjoyed Gardens of the Moon or Deadhouse Gates-maybe one and not the other-keep going until the end of Memories of Ice. If they disliked both GotM and DG, I don't think Memories of Ice will sway them, and there are plenty of other fantasy series worth considering! 😊
Thank you so much, Johanna! Long Price Quartet is so worth the perseverance, imo. Many beautiful passages and relatable themes inside the series. I think that's a great recommendation for those who start reading Malazan Book of the Fallen for the first time. If they disliked both GotM and DG already, it's true that it is doubtful Memories of Ice will win the series for them!
I thought Malice was good, but I thought Valour was GREAT! That's when it started to cement my love for The Faithful and the Fallen. Finished Wrath last month, and felt very satisfied with the ending. A great series. Thanks for the video, Petrik!
Thank you so much, James! That's more or less my thought, too. I loved Malice already, and then the rest of the series made me fall in love further! :)
Bro , just after 10 days I completed malice from ur recommendation the ending was really sad but was a great read.. I plan to start valour from today.
Wonderful to hear that. The rest of the series will be even better! :)
Faithfull and the Fallen was great. Most of Malice was world building and story set up. After that it was epic right up to the last page of Wrath.
Exactly that! 😁
Another great video topic! I actually was hooked into Cradle from book 2... Unsouled was just okay, relatively slow, and then it picked up a bit towards the end, but once we got to Soulsmith l was addicted 😂.
I'd like to try Malazan one day, normally l quite like having to figure things out myself rather than having them all explained, and it doesn't bother me to not understand things, so maybe it will be ok...
Thank you so much! It's good that you were hooked on Cradle since Soulsmith. I hope you'll love Malazan when you get around to it. It's such a rewarding series! :)
Wow - we are having such a different Malazan experience. I LOVED Deadhouse Gates and have mostly not enjoyed Memories of Ice. (I'm about 60% into it). I hope the end changes my mind! Thanks for the video!
I still loved Deadhouse Gates, just not as much as most readers! And too bad about Memories of Ice. If you end up absolutely loving House of Chains, too, then yeah we will have a vastly different experience. xD
Interestingly enough, I actually found the start of Cradle to be weirdly cosy and gripping. And same for Riyria, Bound and the Broken and FatF, I was just vibing with those stories from page one.
Also, I have heard such amazing things about Memories of Ice, so I will definitely stick with it until I get to that point whenever I pick up Malazan!
I personally think A Chorus of Dragons, Threadlight, The Locked Tomb, The Dandelion Dynasty and The War for the Rose Throne only show their full greatness from book 2 onwards.
Great video Petrik!!
Thank you very much, Esmay! Although I can't agree with you on The Locked Tomb because I found Harrow the Ninth to be unnecessarily complicated, I agree that The Dandelion Dynasty and War for the Rose Throne will belong nicely on this list, even though I loved their first book! :D
@@PetrikLeo Hahah Harrow is something else for sure, but I was along for the wild ride. And I agree that Dandelion and War for the Rose Throne have amazing first books, but I know that some readers need some more convincing lol
I actually read Gardens of the Moon and stopped halfway. 2 years later reread it and finished pushed through to Deadhouse Gates half way then life got in the way. It's a commitment for sure. Loved it the seccond time around just wish i got throigh Deadhouse. Now its like 4 years and I will have tp reread GOM and DG 😂
Hahaha! I know someonr who experienced the same thing. Constantly rereading the first three books because they got sidetracked reading other books. 😂 I hope your next attempt through Malazan will be to the end!
Hello 👋 you got some great fantasy books on ur list…. Like always watching ur videos! 🎥📖📚
Thank you so much, Safina!
Yes! This was very useful! Thank you
That's good to hear! You're welcome. 😊
No spoilers and don't kill me but, this is how I felt with Way of Kings, I enjoyed the characters except Dalinar and Adolin. I was not satisfied with the book because it was drilled into my head on how good this is and some of the reasons people talked about were things I really didn't like about it. So when I read Words of Radiance all my problems kind of went away and WoR is one of my favorite books of all time. I'm on Oathebringer now and it's pretty solid but no spoilers so I'll stop it here.
I like how many different series you read that I've never even heard of since getting back into reading, I'm interested to try out some of these one day. You were one of the people who really helped me get into reading after not being interested because of how much I was forced to in school.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad I can help you get back to reading. And no worries! You're not the only Adolin hater, so there's that at least hahaha. But anyway, I totally understand. Hype can be both beneficial and dangerous because it, whether we like it or not, increase our expectations. On the plus side, it makes us want to read the books. On the down side... well, sometimes they can't live up to it haha. :D
Love the video Petrik! When reading Deadhouse Gates, I think it was more of a tragic heart wrenching book than some crazy ending that people make it out to be, I too was kind of taken aback by the ending. I definitely can't wait to read memories of ice!
Thank you so much! I think it's those comments "if you don't cry you're a robot!" Or "your taste is so bad if you don't cry reading Deadhouse Gates" comments that made me slightly disappointed with it. 😅 Like I can't predict what would happen after those comments. I hope you'll love Memories of Ice!
I have seen a lot of people complain about her character but i thought Felsin's story was the heart of the book.
@@PetrikLeo yeah haha, the comments can either over hype or under hype parts of books. I’ll definitely let you know how I like it. I’ll probably start MOI after finishing the 3rd book in the Licanius trilogy.
@@cmmosher8035 I felt her story added depth to the book and the overall story as a whole, but there were points in the book I wanted to take my shoe off and throw it at her, she could be really insufferable at times.
It was Red Rising for me. I was so-so on the first book but so glad I didn't stop there as the series really takes off in book two!
Red Rising definitely belongs on the list! The second book was insaneee!
Red Rising definitely belongs on the list! The second book was insaneee!
Petrik thanks so much for this alot of these are on my TBR for my channel that I am trying to build.
You're so welcome! Good luck with your channel! :)
I agree with you in regards to Malazan and LPQ.
From what I've heard about both series I'm not certain Bound and Broken and Cradle will be for me but I'll give them a shot someday.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and Bound and Broken. I think you'll love that one! Cradle... We'll see! :D
I read "Gardens of the Moon" 2 years ago and understood like 50% and wasn't *that* impressed with the other 50% I (think) I understood. Nevertheless, ever since then I was torn if I should continue the series or not. After this video, I'll give book 2 and 3 a go. After all, what's the worst that could happen? 😄
Yess! If you still don't like it, then rest assured in knowing you gave the series a fair try and you won't feel like you're missing out. I'm quite sure if you don't like the third book, you won't like the rest of it. 😄
I'm about to finish Soulsmith (Cradle #2) and was considering stopping - but I'll take your advice and try book 3!
Also, I loved Of Blood and Fire - now I'm even more excited to read Of Darkness and Light!
Definitely go on with Cradle!! If you don’t see promise after book 3 then drop it, cause thats where the books really pick up imo. Keeps getting better with each book tho imo. Have fun!!
Yeah! Try Blackflame first. If it doesn't capture your attention, drop it. You will LOVE Of Darkness and Light if you liked Of Blood and Fire already! 😊
I bounced off Cradle after book 1 a few years ago but I want to give it another chance. As a Malazan reader, I know full well that sometimes you need to get past book 1 to fall in love with a series. Of Blood and Fire is a really comfy first book that i quite enjoyed so I can’t wait to see when the series “gets good”
Man if I start reading book 1 and I can't get into it I'm not that type of reader where I can just continue on because I think it may get better in book 2 or 3 I wish I could do that but if I get bored with book 1 and I'm halfway through and I ain't feeling it the whole series just got DNR everybody is different though it's like when it comes to malice I did not think malice was slow I like most of that book so like I said and like you know everyone's different glad to find somebody else's putting some respect on Daniel Abraham's name he's not only a Sci-Fi writer he writes fantasy also anyway man keep up the great work to the best booktuber on RUclips
Thank you so much! Nothing wrong with DNFing a series on the first book if you're not feeling like it. As I said, this is just a motivational video if the rest of a specific series interests you. :D
I read the first book of The Dagger and The Coin a few years ago but I haven't continued the series. It took me a month to read the first book and I've been putting off reading the second one. I plan on picking it up at some point because alot of people say its better than the first book.
Yeahh, that first book was tough. I totally understand that. Try to read The King's Blood if you can, I think it's much much better compared to Dragon's Path! :)
I just finished Wheel of time last week, I don’t think I’m ready for another epic fantasy just yet lol I’m taking a break from fantasy and catching up on my SiFi tbr list. The Malice book definitely has me intrigued tho
That's a big achievement. I suggest taking a little break first before tackling another epic fantasy series! :D
I agree of bound and fire was good, just good. I had issues with chosen one trope but otherwise good. Can’t wait to read of darkness and light
Of Darkness and Light is where it gets awesome. Enjoy, Jorge! 😁
I dnf malazan series after toll the hounds I'm glad I gave the series a try
That is certainly enough time spent on a series that does not work for you!
thanks for making this video! hope i'll never be in the position to use this info, but you never know😅
Can't hurt having some pre-advice! 😄
For me, it's The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone by Greg Keyes. The first book started super slow, but after about two thirds of the way, it kicks into high gear and never lets up until the end of book 4.
Oh nice! I haven't read anything by Greg Keyes yet! :D
@@PetrikLeo The series isn't among the best out there, but it's very under recognized. I don't think I've seen a single booktuber that I follow talk about it.
Cool video. I actually like a Shadow in Summer more than A Betrayal in Winter. A Shadow in Summer felt so much more unique and I really loved the character dynamics. A Betrayal in Winter is very Macbeth, which is fine. I liked it, but the story wasn't as captivating for me because it reminded me so much of a Shakespearean tragedy. I'm reading the third book this month, hopefully.
An Autumn War is the best book in the series
Thank you so much! I personally think An Autumn War is the best of the series. I hope it will be the same for you. Price of Spring did deliver a very satisfying conclusion, though!
Thanks for those. I gave up on Sullivan because I hated Nolyn, but I did like his novellas and short stories. I might give Rirya a try.
I honestly think Nolyn is a MUST not read book unless you've read at least Legends of the First Empire. Authors who keep saying their books work well as a standalone even though it's book number 17 in his series are damaging their books. I get it, they're trying to sell their new books, but this is not the way, imo.
@@PetrikLeo Alright, thanks for reassuring me. Nolyn is perhaps the worst Fantasy book I've ever read. It's just characters spending hundred of pages in taverns discussing battles that happened centuries ago. It doesn't get more boring than that.
I actually loved Malice. I think the slow pace made me care more about the characters. I felt like i knew them so well from just book 1. Althoigh I enjoyed Shadow of the Gods and Time of Dred, I didn't feel the same strong emotions as i did for Corban and crew. Only about halfway through a Time of Blood am I getting the emotions for the characters, and now that i love these characters i am sad that there is only one book left with them. Would have preferred spending more time with Drem, Riv, Bleda in a Time of Dred and with Orka, Varg, Elvar from shadow of the Gods. But still these are nit picks. Gwynne is definately one of my fav authors and will remain one if he continues to write these great books.
YESSSS. AGREE with everything you said. The Faithful and the Fallen is special precisely because of the affection we have for the characters. From book 1! 😊
Great video and awesome series that you mentioned. I have only read two out of the seven but I also agree in your assessment. I feel the same exact way with Stephen King books. He is my favorite author but even after reading 35 plus books. There might be only one that started from the beginning Great. The rest just end up being real good or finish amazing.
Thank you so much! Some books and series just need some time for them to reach their potential! :)
Got to have The Dresden Files on any list like this. Even though Dresden is my Favorite and imo the Best Urban Fantasy Series I know it’s not perfect and the first 2 books, Storm Front and Fool Moon respectively, are objectively not that great. Readable and definitely better than 95% of other books out there but certainly not as good as everything that comes after starting with book 3 Grave Peril. That first scene of Grave Peril never fails to change the opinions of someone who isn’t sure whether or not they want to continue…
Oh of course! Dresden Files will be on the second part of this video. God, Fool Moon was really bad, imo. But yeah book 4 was where I felt like the story is finally going somewhere. 😅
Of all the ones ive read here, I totally agree with your analysis. I think so many people DNF on soulsmith especially and im like please try one more 🤣 I also found Theft of Swords pretty average but have faith that when I continue, I will enjoy the sequels.
Yeahh! I kinda want to say "try one more please?? Just one more. And then feel free to give up if Blackflame still does not click with you!" 🤣
For the two series mentioned in the video I have read (TFatF and Ryria), I liked the first books much more than the rest. Theft of Swords I quite liked, but, with every following volume, I was less and less enamoured. Malice I didn't much like already, but I absolutely despised the rest of the series. It seems Petrik and I have very different tastes!
Tell me the books you hate! I might end up loving them! :D
I had this problem with the first book of Kushiel’s Legacy, as in my country they divided the first book in half 🤦♀️
So it actually stopped just as things started to get really interesting 🙄 But after that it just kept getting better and better!
I love books told from the older characters POV! The little hints of what is to come just make my day 😁 This series read like that. Do you have any recommendations of other books that have this sort of POV?
I haven't started reading the series yet. I hope I can get to Kushiel's Legacy next year! I agree with you, though. I love books told from the perspective of older characters reflecting on their past. Thanks for letting me know about it. Let's see whether I can make a recommendation video on it! :D
I think Farseer is one. So is Sun Eater. Basically it's a self chronicle style.
@@DashWatson thank you for the recommendations 🥰
I found a collection of the Faithful/fallen cheap online so I will eventually book two but my issue with malice wasnt that it was slow but that every pov character felt interchangable. I had trouble caring enough to keep the plot threads straight.
On the otherhand, I thought Theft of Swords was fun because it was a straight forward buddy action story and it didnt try to overly complex. Also, I am currently reading Blood and Fire and it does right by focusing on one character which is where I think Gwynne went wrong with Malice.
That being said Shadow of the gods did well with delivering 3 distinct pov characters. Still not my favourite book but I am a sucker a family trying to reunite type story.
The multiple POV characters in Malice did take me some time to get used to on my first read. Here's hoping Valor will be a better experience for you. At least The Shadow of the Gods delivered! :D
Nice video as always.
Have you considered reading wars of light and shadow by Janny Wurts, I'd like to know your opinion I'd you did.
Thank you! And yes, will be starting Wars of Light and Shadow next month or July! :)
@@PetrikLeo Awesome, will be waiting for your review 😁
Gardens of The Moon seemed to be the epitome of epic fantasy for me... I was in a daze for several days afterwards. HOWEVER, I'm in near last 3rd of Deadhouse Gates and, quite frankly, not at all enjoying. Yes, it seemed promising in the first few chapters but as the book droned it, it was endless pages and pages of wars, slaughters, battles and was so gritty and dry that I've grown weary of it. I'm considering DNF'ing Deadhouse Gates and directly move to Memories Of Ice as it follows the event occuring in Gardens Of The Moon .... what do you recommend?
DG has some tragic epic scenes at the end. I also did not like Chain of Dogs but the end made it worth reading, imho. It's when I knew I'm all in on the series.
I have only read up to the end of Deadhouse Gates but something that's pretty major happens at the end. That being said Memories of Ice runs parallel to Deadhouse so if you enjoy MoI maybe go back and finish Deadhouse because i believe book picks up threads from both books 2 and 3.
I think you can actually read many parts of Memories of Ice without finishing Deadhouse Gates. That said, the epilogue of Memories of Ice won't have that immense impact if you haven't read Deadhouse Gates to the end. :)
Every book u mentioned is epic except cradle which gives vibes of mixture of wuxia&western fantasy.
Cuzz I am already into wuxia and xinxia which makes these series look very slow paced and I finished 5 volumes of this series , As for fans of this series I recommend to check a Chinese novel "A will eternal" who re comitted.
Cradle did get pretty epic eventually! But yeah it started uninteresting to me. I understand though that the pacing in Cradle is faster than the other series mentioned here.
I love the faithful and the fallen!
Me too!! 😃
What about The Green Bone Saga Series? I've read the first one, it was pretty mid for me. Will it improve in the second installment?
Personally, I loved every book in Green Bone Saga. But Jade City was the weakest of the three, for sure. Jade War is certainly a huge step up for me! :)
Hi Petrik. I DNF'd Evan Winters' series to it not being a good fit for my reading taste. On the bubble is Malazan, and Dagger & the Coin, mostly because I enjoy other books besides fantasy and I'm not sure I want to commit to so much fantasy. I still have more volumes by Joe Abercrombie, Robin Hobb and Josiah Bancroft to read. There's a universe of good books to catch up with if I live long enough. lol
Yeah! So many books to read, so little time! :/
Dang. Malice seems good...but it takes a LOT for me to brake out of my stand alone adiction. Ive only made an exeption for:
Stormlight
Harry potter
Fullmetal alquemist
Vampire hunter d
Rurouni kenshin
Slayers
Cardcaptor sakura ( thogh ccs is my guilty plesure, story is meh, but i love it)
Well, just know it will be there when you're ready to break out of your standalone reading binge! :)
Cradle is crack. It’s addictive once it gets going.
It's a very hard to put down series! 😁
Good advice 👍
Thank you so much!
I'm also very disappointed with Theft of Swords and I only gave it 2 stars! I decide to try the sequel because of your recommendation :)
I gave Theft of Swords a 2.5 stars rating on my first read. Stick with it for a while and see whether it improves or not for you. 😄
@@PetrikLeo I'll be sure to check it out :)
However I do actually think that GOTM is a good book. It's a little difficult to understand at first because there's so much going on but it IS fun, and it is representative of what is to come in the next Malazan books, it's just that we as readers get used to the style and we begin understanding a lot better the world and the relationships between the actors.
Agreed. There were many scenes purposely written to not be comprehensible yet for first time readers to the series. I realized how much I missed during my second read of Gardens of the Moon after I finished the series. It felt like an entirely new book! :D
Ooof. If The Fall is better quality of writing then I'm running from this series. Been on the fence for a while on this series, but the writing was so terrible in the Fall that if of Blood and Fire is worse?? Thank you for the warning!
I personally think it's much better than OBAF. The writing in OBAF is definitely inferior compared to it. That said, Of Darkness and Light is an upgrade over both of them. Something to consider! But no need to force it if you don't feel like it at all. 😄
@@PetrikLeo I stronly disagree. The writing in the Fall is really weak. I surmise Ryan Cahill didn't get an editor or a good one to go over it. His prose is really clunky. I definitely saw an improvement with his first novel which I attributed to the editor, but maybe I am wrong.
@@alexvaldiers9788 it's actually the other way around. He got a professional editor (who worked on many amazing novels) for The Fall. The Fall is written after Of Blood and Fire, too. At the end of the day, when a writing cannot immerse you, it's as simple as the book isn't for you. Remember that people say Tolkien, Erikson, Martin, or any authors, really, cannot write or have clunky prose, too. 😂😂
@@PetrikLeo Are you sure about this? I thought Ryan said in an interview that The Fall was a collection of short stories already written. Also the 'thank you' page doesn't credit any editor. Either way, the prose was clunky for the Fall but it didn't stop me from pushing on with the series.
@@alexvaldiers9788 Yup, I'm sure about this. You can see the editor's comment on Goodreads. I wish I can link the review here, but the editor's name is Sarah Chorn. Anyway, I can certainly agree that the prose was clunky in some places, but imo it is better than Of Blood and Fire. And Of Darkness and Light was vastly better than both The fall and Of Blood and Fire, imo. :)
I ve seen many people not liking the blade itself, first book of the first law trilogy,because the plot was not engaging.I personally liked it.
I LOVED The Blade Itself. The characterizations is absolutely top notch! 😄
Some people just can't bear slow pacing with excellent character development. I've known many people who even say The Way of Kings is too slow for them, and nothing happens at all.
Everyone has their own taste, but I definitely can't see The Way of King as a book where "nothing" happens. 😅
Your expectations going in to Deadhouse Gates were similar to my expectations going in to Memories of Ice
Expectation matters a lot on our reading experience!
@@PetrikLeo Absolutely! Needless to say, it was tough to push past but I enjoyed it.
I would say read the first three books of The Greenbone Saga, then read them again, that's about the best place to stop... for now :D
I hate DNF'ing a series once I get past the first book, doesn't feel right, fortunately I've been pretty lucky with most of them and if I haven't really enjoyed it by the end I at least took something from it. I have found the opposite problem though, I start a series like A Song of Ice and Fire and I really like most of the first book and then it gets better till the quality just dies for the last two and I find myself wishing I had stopped before it's ruined (same with the show). Wheel of Time was different, it was just total crap from page one to when it died, the only thing I took from it was all the things I wouldn't do if I was writing a book or teaching a class, literally just hold the whole thing up and say "None of this!". I found the only reason I was reading that damn kindling was because I got spoiled by Google when I wanted to spell a certain terrible character's name who ruins all of everything in that fiasco and Google told me she would die so I was all in for reading how! She even managed to disappoint me in death, should have seen that coming.
Threadlight could be one of those series people might want to push through, like I said before I might just be put off by the bad narration in the audiobook but I did almost stop after book one but half way through the second book I got much more into it, I'm almost done now and it still hasn't wow'd me like a Stormlight or a Mistborn but I think if it ends how I think it is, it could get a slightly rounded up 4/5. Also, the Kickstarter hit over $100k so we will get that book at its best, so thanks for the heads-up on that one!
Can't disagree with reading Green Bone Saga and over and over again! :D
I have to agree with you on A Song of Ice and Fire. At least for now. I still consider it one of my favorite series based on how much I love the first three books. But the last two books were disappointing. I heard they are books that will work so much better on reread, so who knows, I might do that someday in the future!
The Kickstarter for Threadlight is so awesome. It hits $100k! And now it will come up with a slipcase and even more interior illustrations. At least you had a great time with the series, the pledge will be more worth it now! :D
Malice is a book I have struggled with over and over again. I just cannot go beyond the first 3rd (story and characters wise ) of the book . I dont even know if I can get as far as book 2 ..😅
Hhaaha! That's too bad, but no worries. I totally understand. If it's too much, no need to force yourself! :)
Wheel of Time is up to book 4. Book 5 is my personal favourite.
Book 6 is my favorite so far. Book 4 made me stop reading the series for two years. xD
@@PetrikLeo BLASPHEMY!!!
Thanks!
Thank YOU! 😄
I think if you have to fight through multiple books to gain an appreciation, you mind as well read the summary and then dive in when the books "get good."...LOL...there's so many books out there. So, little time...
Hahaha, it depends on the books and series. I mean, Wheel of Time requires us to force through reading 4 big books (more than 2000 pages) to get back to the great parts! xD
I've loved Malice.
Me too. It's awesome! :D
Twice I started Gardens of the Moon and both times I set it aside. Several things put me off about it: I felt no connection to any of the characters; the world has "too much magic" for my taste and finally it has a bleak, joyless tone to it.
No need to force it if it's not for you! 😊
I was the opposite with the Malazan books. I loved every book until the last couple, especially the last book. Perhaps it's just me, but I felt they were too slow and philosophical for my tastes. I even tried some of his following books but felt his entire writing style had changed.
There's also the Malazan fatigue to consider. I think Book 9 of Malazan is my absolute least favorite of the entire series. It was so boring.
@@PetrikLeo That's how I felt too. The series really started to drag at the end. Nothing seemed to happend. The end was really anticlimatic for me.
I would add The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. The first book is a pedestrian Fellowship of the Ring, and then, for the next five books, it gets good. And then it gets bad, really bad, again.
I haven't read the series yet! But your encouragement is not helping. 🤣🤣
@@PetrikLeo I actually don't think I would recommend it to readers of contemporary fantasy because it has a very unlikeable main character. Not in the sense of grim dark, more like an isekai anime protagonist, you know, moanful and cynical. There is a good reason why he is like that, but reading reviews tells me that people don't like him enough to continue the series. But I do like it (sheds a single tear.)
I loved Gardens of the Moon & was disappointed with Deadhouse Gates. Probably do to hype. Memories of Ice was great even with all the hype. I heard HoC & Midnight Tides weren’t good but LOVED them more than the previous 3. I think books 3-10 are all 5/5
Yeah, Deadhouse Gates is the most hyped book of the series, imo. I didn't really enjoy House of Chains, but Midnight Tides was amazing! One of my favorites. 😊
@@PetrikLeo anything with Tehol & Bugg is great
My latest criteria to read any fantasy books: Search them in goodreads and see what rating you have given them.🙌
Hahaha! Thank you for the vouch of confidence! 😄
I'm honestly surprised The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher wasn't on this list.
It will be in the second part of the video. There are 7 or 8 more series belonging to this category, and Dresden Files is one of them!! :)
I've been reading unsouled for months now💀 pushing through very slowly.
Ouch. For months!? 😂😂
@@PetrikLeo it hurts me as well.
I don't know why, but I was not able to finish first book of Wheel of Time.
I know many readers who experienced the same thing. 😂
I dnf Malice like about chapter 40. Because it was really sloggish to get through and very predictable too.
I really like some characters like corban, veradis, corbans sister(dont wanna messup the name), camlin. Even in their povs it feels like author is focusing on everything other than these characters.
I did not feel that way about Malice. It's true that the pacing in the first half was slower than the rest of the series, but imo it was absolutely necessary. Without the characterizations and background first, I don't the very action-packed nature of the series would work well. The book indeed takes some time to get going and was very predictable at the beginning, though, can't deny that. :)
@@PetrikLeo Well after watching this video i decided to pick it back up and read through a couple of chapters let's see where it goes
@@Mykye good luck! Hopefully the rest of the book pick up for you! 😄
Lol half of these are on my tbr.
Hahaha! 🤣 I hope the video is useful then!
I need this for WoT😅
That day will come when I progressed further into Wheel of Time! :D
Ahhhh but is Wheel of Time worth pushing through?
Ooofff this is a tough one. I haven't finished the series, too. So we'll see later on? 😂
@@PetrikLeo I'm six books through and while I like it, I really don't love it.
This my own personal experience but i dnf'd the series twice. I read up to Winter's Heart as they were being released. I tried it again during covid but i haven't felt drawn to go back after finishing book 3.
Of Blood and Fire was woeful, on prose, on plot, on characters and on straight out stealing from several other better books.
I wish more creators were honest like you are that book 1 should be skipped.
Any creator hyping book 1 just drops themselves into the “cannot be trusted” group for me to no longer watch.
I am trying to give book 2 a try but currently am still so annoyed by how bad book 1 was that it is putting me off.
I look at this debut novel getting so much hype and being disgusted as it doesn’t even come close to so many other much better debut novels such as Richard Nell and Philip Chase, or even comparing it to Eragon, all of whom wrote good debut novels.
Two worst books in past year were Of Blood and Fire and Babel. Both had boring flat characters, plot holes more like craters and pacing that made watching paint dry seem exciting.
So yes I agree that skipping book 1 is a very wise move.
I wouldn't say skipping book 1, I still think it's good enough. Nothing amazing, but it's alright. Book 2, though, is really where imo the series started to shine. And I hope readers will give the series up to that point before deciding to drop the series.
Frist 2 books of Malazan were so bad. Wish i hadnt started.
Time to move on to other series. 😂
I wasn’t impressed by gardens at all, gave up halfway through and never understood the hype. I’ll come back eventually but right now it seems like a waste to keep reading it
No need to force it if the series isn't calling to you. And if you do continue someday, and then Deadhouse or Memories still hasn't hooked you, drop the series. 😃
Read all through the Faithful and the Fallen and Malice is the best book of the 4. It is all downhill from there.
First I heard of this opinion in 6 years. Just to show how different experiences can be. 🙂
Unfortunately the more you read it the more the plot holes become glaring, and also the 'questionable' decisions of characters.
Some people don’t like Malice? Strange.
Quite many actually. 😆 Valor is often the book where people start loving the series! 😁
@@PetrikLeo I guess I understand, it may be a little slow for people who like action right out of the gate, but it needs that slow set up to introduce us to the world and lives of our characters before things turn sour for the rest of the series😂
I tried and really disliked it, which is really disappointing because it's one of the authors I'd love to like, he lives down the road! (figuratively, it's like 20 miles). I even tried the Hunger of Gods and equally disliked it.
Please convince merphy napier to read attack on titan
Any reason why she doesn't want to read it? I have to convince her to do it. Or to watch it.
Personally i don't think it is a good idea to push through a series if you don't vibe with a book. That can just leave a bad impression and taint the experience. Not every book are for everyone.
Nothing wrong with that. But some of my top favorite series doesn't have the strongest first book of a series. I will regret it so badly if I had stopped only from reading the inferior first book. Obviously, some first books can be so bad that continuing the series may feel like torture instead. It all depends on each reader and their experience. :)
@@PetrikLeo Of course, it varies on the reader what you are willing to sit through. I haven't actually read a book where i hate a book or in some way didn't enjoy it.